A police officer walks by an SBV vehicle. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sowetan/Veli Nhlapo)
- A woman who fled after allegedly stealing R4 million from her employer SBV in 2019 appeared in court on Friday.
- Bathobile Mlangeni disappeared in July 2019 after the money was stolen at Mall of Africa in Midrand, Gauteng.
- Police said Mlangeni was arrested in Zola, Soweto, last Thursday.
A woman who has been on the run after allegedly stealing R4 million from her employer, SBV Services, in July 2019 has been arrested.
Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed 29-year-old Bathobile Mlangeni’s arrest to News24 on Friday.
“Police can confirm that the former employee of SBV, who was sought for the alleged theft of millions of rands, was arrested in Zola, Soweto, on Thursday, 6 January 2022,” he said.
According to Masondo, Mlangeni, who has been charged with theft, is expected to appear in Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Monday for a bail application.
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Earlier, News24 reported that Mlangeni had reportedly been seen on CCTV footage stuffing millions of rands into rubbish bags at SBV’s cash depot at the Mall of Africa in Midrand.
News24 further reported that the woman had allegedly cut open two bulk cash bags and put the money in refuse bags, placed them in a trolley and walked off.
Mlangeni did not return to work and her whereabouts remained unknown.Her former employer, SBV Services, previously appealed to members of the public for any information which may assist police in their investigation.
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“As a key service provider that ensures that cash is available for the citizens of South Africa, and as a responsible corporate citizen, we do not tolerate any crime and take all internal and external incidents in a serious light. If an incident does occur, we will focus our efforts together with the relevant authorities to ensure that the perpetrators involved are brought to justice,” SBV Services CEO Mark Barrett stated at the time.
News24 reached out to the National Prosecuting Authority and SBV Services for comment. However, they had not responded at the time of publication.
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