BL Premium reports that after being convicted of more than 200 charges of fraud-related crimes totaling millions, a former Absa employee tried unsuccessfully to appeal against her sentence of four years, claiming the courts had used inadmissible evidence.

The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) this week dismissed her case because previous courts had used her own admissions and other evidence to convict her. She now must return to jail to carry out the remaining years of her imprisonment. Natasha Liebenberg worked as an estate administrator at Absa in Kimberley, dealing with deceased estates. Following an inquiry, she was dismissed and then criminally charged with 269 counts uncovered by Absa. During the criminal trial held at a magistrate’s court, Liebenberg’s statements to the inquiry were referenced.   Liebenberg objected, claiming those statements were coerced and were inadmissible. However, the trial court found Liebenberg’s objection to this evidence was without merit. Eventually, Liebenberg changed her plea to guilty and admitted to a number of the initial charges. At the ConCourt, Liebenberg repeated her argument about the evidence at the inquiry and bias. In a unanimous judgment on Tuesday, acting justice Sulet Potterill dismissed Liebenberg’s claims. Potterill noted importantly that the case did not engage the Constitutional Court’s jurisdiction. There was no issue about Liebenberg’s fair trial rights, which is a fundamental right that would have warranted the court’s attention. Liebenberg’s claim that her rights were violated by bias was said to be “pure speculation”.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tauriq Moosa at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

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