A man convicted of repeated fraud has been sentenced to 75 years in prison, to be served as an effective 20-year term, by the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court.
Christjan Hendrik Coetzer was found guilty of fraud, theft, and money laundering involving almost R1 million. The crimes began on 9 October 2015, when Coetzer, along with a woman pretending to be attorney Angelia Evangelia Kallinkos, arrived at ABSA’s Vereeniging branch. Posing as her legal representative, Coetzer convinced the bank’s staff to grant him access to Kallinkos’ account.
Over the next month, between 9 October and 7 November 2015, Coetzer transferred R956,900 from the real Kallinkos’ account into his own. The crime was only uncovered when the victim discovered her savings had been drained and reported it to the authorities.
Coetzer was arrested in a dramatic twist when the investigating officer, Sergeant Tiyani Hlungwani, recognised his name during an unrelated bail hearing at the same court.
Senior State Advocate Tilas Chabalala highlighted Coetzer’s long history of previous convictions, arguing that a harsh sentence was necessary. Chabalala also noted the reputational damage suffered by ABSA Bank, as the victim and those close to her had lost trust in the institution’s ability to safeguard their funds.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the sentence, stating that it reaffirms the justice system’s commitment to cracking down on white-collar crime.
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