Durban Couple Sentenced to 23 Years Collectively for Scamming KZN Blind and Deaf Society Out of R13m

• A Durban couple will be spending a long time behind bars for stealing from KZN's vulnerable
• The couple swindled over R13 million from KZN Blind and Deaf Society over the course of seven years
• The court said the duo failed to show any remorse for their crimes and only pleaded guilty because the evidence was insurmountable

DURBAN - A greedy couple from Durban got what was coming to them when the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court slapped them with a jail sentence for fraud.

Ruvanya Ramiah was sentenced to 15 years in prison while her husband, Ayush Rambally, will be jailed for eight years.

Ramiah abused her position as a finance officer for the KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society, which gave her unfettered access to the society's bank accounts, IOL reported.

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The woman would pay herself inflated salaries multiple times a month from March 2012 to February 2019.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara said that Ramiah would also make fake payments to suppliers and fabricate evidence to make them seem legitimate.

According to EWN, the money was spread between her bank account and her husband's.

The greedy couple did more than just steal from the NGO, their actions also cost the society its funding and companies pulled their support when word of the fraud spread.

Veetha Sewkuran told the court that the lack of funding resulted in the retrenchment of 15 employees who took the society to the CCMA, thus making the NGO's financial problems worse.

During his plea, the husband, Rambally, admitted to knowing what he and his wife were doing was wrong and revealed they planned to steal from the society for as long as they could.

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The court found that the couple was not remorseful for what they did and only pleaded guilty because of the mountain of evidence against them.

Ramiah pleaded guilty to 354 counts of fraud, tallying up to over R12.6 million, while Rambally pleaded guilty to 79 counts of theft to the tune of R1.7 million.

South Africans weigh in on the couple's crimes

Citizens are fed up with ongoing fraud and corruption in the country. Below are some comments:

Chantal Lombaard condemned:

"You don't get any lower in society than wilfully stealing from the blind and the deaf to enrich yourself."

Fhulufhelo Shaldon commented:

"South Africans have no shame, rotten to the core."

Gerhard Smit demanded:

"Life in prison for them, please."

Lubabalo Mpiti complained:

"This is the perfect interpretation of a'failed state', where every man is for himself."

Arlette Franks slammed:

"Disgusting and inhumane behaviour!"

KZN killer cop sentenced to 30 years for double murder of friend and fiancée, SA upset: “He will only serve 10”

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Earlier, Briefly News reported that the KwaZulu-Natal police constable who gunned down his fiancée and his friend within 24 hours of each other three weeks ago has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.

Sikhakhane detailed what led to the double murders in his plea statement to the court. The police constable allegedly suspected his fiancée, Mtshali, of cheating when she decided to go home on 6 January on the pretence of being ill and then refused to answer his calls.

Source: Briefly News