Gambling board sends gambling addict, fraudster for therapy
October 6, 2009
The Western Cape branch of the gambling board referred a gambling addict to a clinical psychologist for therapy after she started having suicidal thoughts, the Bellville specialised commercial crime court heard on Monday.
Psychologist Dr Gideon van Dyk testified at the trial of bookkeeper Paulina Jacoba Cronje, who in August was found guilty by magistrate Amrith Chabillal on 252 counts of fraud involving R2 million.
As bookkeeper, Cronje first stole from the Trust bank account of the Paarl attorneys firm, Van Wyk Fouche Inc, to support her gambling addiction.
After 11 years working for Van Wyk Fouche, she moved to the firm Terblanche Slabbert Pieters in a similar capacity, where she continued to steal - this time to repay the money she had stolen from the first firm.
Van Dyk told the court that Cronje was referred to him for therapy, by the gambling board's Barry Williams. He said Williams had evaluated Cronje as having suicidal thoughts, caused by her serious gambling addiction.
Van Dyk said Cronje had started gambling "socially, and under control", until the year 2001 when she had started gambling with amounts such as R2 000 in one night, which had escalated to R10 000 and then to R20 000 in one night.
He said she had initially gambled with her salary, but later started stealing from her employer. She had also gambled away money that she had won at the Grand West, but had always been careful to take home some of her winnings, to show her husband.
Van Dyk said Cronje's mother had obtained the gambling board's telephone number, and called the board, who had referred Cronje to Van Dyk.
The hearing continues on Tuesday. - I-Net Bridge
|
|
