Sentencing life-line for convicted director in multi-million hospital fraud case

FRAUD and corruption convict Oleena Dauchand, the sole director of a closed corporation, claimed to be part of a syndicate allegedly involved in multi-million fraud committed at the Chief Albert Luthuli Hospital, has scored a minor victory after the court suspended the sentencing procedures pending the outcome of her review application.

- ZELDA VENTER [e-mail]

The case relates to the supply of medical equipment by her company Trestine Trading CC.

Dauchand had asked the Durban High Court to interdict the prosecuting authority from going ahead with its sentencing next month after she and the closed corporation were found guilty on numerous counts of fraud and corruption.

Dauchand, hot on the heels of her conviction and a recommendation in a pre-sentencing report that she should face jail time, claimed that she had actually meant to plead not guilty to the charges.

She blamed her erstwhile legal team for making her enter a guilty plea to the charges. The magistrate dealing with her case, however, did not want to accept her change of plea after her conviction.

Dauchand has instituted proceedings to overturn this refusal by the magistrate, but she argued that it would be too late to prevent harm if the sentencing overtakes the review proceedings, as she may well then already be in jail.