CT ex-radio man guilty of fraud
2008-06-20 17:35
Cape Town - The former financial director at Radio Heart in Cape Town was on Friday found guilty in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court of theft and fraud charges involving R12 536 613.
Mario Roos appeared before magistrate Amrith Chabilall and told the court that the bulk of the money was gambled away and that he had a severe gambling addiction.
Dressed neatly in a dark suit, he said he had received treatment at Crescent Clinic, a hospital that specialises in the treatment of addiction.
A written plea explanation was handed to the court by defence counsel William King.
Roos, a BCom graduate, first stole R63 684 from the Foschini Group where he was engaged as a financial controller.
He told the court the Foschini Group had undertaken not to press charges against him provided he repaid the money.
However, because of the thefts perpetrated in January and February 2003, he had to resign but later got a job with Heart Radio in a similar capacity.
He told the court his gambling addiction was all-consuming, beginning in casinos but later progressing to online gambling where he could gamble into the early hours of the morning in the comfort of his Constantia home.
The hearing continues.
- SAPA