A former Just Properties employee has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Cape Town Regional Court after being convicted in a fraud case involving about R5.5 million.

Riaan Theunissen, 38, was sentenced on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, according to IOL. Two years of the sentence were suspended for five years, which means he will serve an effective eight years of direct imprisonment.

Court sentences Riaan Theunissen in Just Properties fraud case

The Just Properties fraud case centred on funds taken from the company’s Table View branch. According to IOL, Theunissen was convicted after misappropriating money from his employer and facing more than 400 counts of fraud.

The Hawks said the case related to irregular payments made through the PayProp system’s payments module. IOL reported that Hawks Western Cape spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi said Theunissen disguised and facilitated irregular payments and archived some transactions to bypass controls.

The current sentencing report said Theunissen did not follow the company’s approval and payment policies. It also said the court sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment, with two years suspended for five years.

Hawks probe followed first court appearance in 2024

Theunissen first appeared in court in December 2024 after a warrant of arrest was executed against him. In a Hawks statement published by SAPS on 19 December 2024, the directorate said he appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on fraud charges linked to alleged activity between June 2016 and August 2023.

That statement said the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit investigated the matter. It also said the case was postponed for a Regional Court date.

Business Report later described the matter as an example of insider fraud risk in South African businesses. In that report, CS Forensics managing member Christo Snyman said employees with access to financial systems can exploit weak controls if firms do not separate duties and audit high-risk transactions.

Hawks welcome sentence

IOL reported that Western Cape Hawks head Major General Mathipa Makgato welcomed the sentence. He commended the investigation and prosecution teams for the outcome.

Makgato also warned that the law would prevail against those involved in criminal activity. No separate response from Just Properties was found in the sources reviewed for this article.