FROM THE COURTS: A Cape Town accountant has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on 134 counts of theft and money laundering.

Cassandra Candice Labuschagne was arrested in September 2025, after defrauding a Cape Town based travel company she worked for of more than R17,3 million between January 2019 and June 2024.

According to evidence before court Labuschagne created a fictitious platform on the company’s banking site which allowed her access to the company’s banking system. She proceeded to register her own company and made several payments to her company. The discrepancy was picked up by forensic investigators while doing the company’s financial audits.

A case was opened and assigned to Detective Sergeant Arno Cupido of the Western Cape Commercial Crime Unit. He conducted a thorough investigation and obtained subpoenas for bank statements of the 19 bank accounts the accused used in the commission of her crime. 

On 17 September 2025, the 42-year-old was arrested and remained in custody as bail was successfully opposed.

Labuschagne entered into a plea and sentence agreement and was sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment by the Cape Town Regional Court this week.