FRIDAY, 5.30PM
FORMER Absa bank executive Bob Aldworth was on Friday sentenced to a fine of R100 000 of six years’ imprisonment for fraud in the Johannesburg Regional Court.
Aldworth, who originally faced 10 charges of corruption, theft and fraud totalling R8-million, last week pleaded guilty to a single fraud charge involving R414 000. Eight of the original 10 charges were dropped last November.
Magistrate H Wolmarans siad correctional supervision would have been completely inadquate in Aldworth’s case. Imprisonment was called for, but the former banker’s poor health could have resulted in a situation where the accused became a financial burden to the State, Wolmarans said in his judgment.
Aldworth had occupied a position of extreme trust, but the magistrate found strong mitigating factors and noted the amount defrauded — R414 353 — was relatively small.