A 42-year-old Cape Town accountant has been sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment following her conviction on more than 130 counts of theft and money laundering involving millions of rands.

Cassandra Labuschagne entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the Cape Town Regional Court.

She was arrested in September 2025.

Police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala says the travel company where Labuschagne worked as an accountant suffered losses of more than R17 million between January 2019 and June 2024.

#sapsWC [MONEY-LAUNDERING ACCOUNTANT FACES 15 YEARS IN PRISON]

The Cape Town Regional Court sentenced Cassandra Candice Labuschagne to 15 years direct imprisonment for 134 counts of theft and money laundering.

Labuschagne was arrested in September 2025, after defrauding a Cape Town based travel company she worked for as an accountant. The company suffered a total loss of R17 352 337-00 from the period of January 2019 until June 2024. Labuschagne created a fictitious platform on the company’s banking site, that 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 Julian Cupido of the Western Cape Commercial Crime Investigation 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. She was further declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000. #Sentencing ML
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Gwala says forensic investigators uncovered discrepancies during the company’s financial audits.

“A case was opened and assigned to Detective Sergeant Arno Julian Cupido of the Western Cape Commercial Crime Investigation 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. Labuschagne entered into a plea and sentence agreement and was sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment. She was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.”