Three employees, including the manager, of a jewellery store allegedly worked in cahoots over a long period of time to steal more than R3.2 million worth of jewellery pieces from their employer.
DURBAN – Three employees, including the manager, of a Durban jewellery store allegedly worked in cahoots over a long period of time to steal more than R3.2 million worth of jewellery pieces from their employer.
They were arrested and charged with multiple counts of theft related to the long inventory of missing items from the Premjis Jewellers branch at the Gateway Shopping Mall and were granted bail of R20,000 each.
Rashna Raghubar, 39, store manager Kailash Lala, 60, and Samendrie “Steffy” Pillai, 30, appeared before magistrate Ashwin Singh at the Durban Magistrate’s Court last week.
The State, represented by prosecutor Calvin Govender, did not oppose bail for the three accused.
In granting bail, one of the conditions Singh set before adjourning the matter to a date in September was that the accused not make contact with Premjis’ customers.
It is believed that Lala, who has been in the employ of Premjis for more than 20 years, was the mastermind behind the alleged thefts.
Raghubar and Pillai, both sales assistants, have been with the Gateway jewellery store for 12 and five years respectively.
Together, the three were relied upon to ensure stock items were registered and accounted for on their internal system as well as their display and sale.
Their other responsibilities included opening and closing the store, purchases and communications with clients.
They were required to report daily to a Premjis director, particularly about matters relating to stock, and, given their seniority, their feedback was taken in good faith.
However, even though the employees gave the director a balanced book of records in June, confirming that all the stock was accounted for, the director was suspicious and undertook a recount of all jewellery items in the store.
He found there were a substantial number of items missing and that the acts of theft dated back to 2012.
Three missing Michel Herbelin watches had apparently piqued the director’s suspicion and prompted the subsequent stock check.
It is believed that in order to hide the theft of expensive stolen items, their price tags were removed and attached to cheaper jewellery to make it seem that the expensive items were still on hand in the store.
It has also been alleged that customers preferring to pay in cash for purchases were told that they would be given no other paperwork except for a Premjis receipt, and the takings were then split between the accused.
More arrests are expected as police suspect that the three accused were working with others.
At the bail hearing, it was suggested that more charges could be added.
Attorney Shamla Pather, Premjis’ legal representative, said her clients were “devastated by the dishonesty exhibited by the accused given the position of trust that they enjoyed at the firm”.
“Premjis will deal with the matter through to its final and logical conclusion. These staff members were treated like family, so their acts of dishonesty have left them reeling,” said Pather.
