THE MERCURY
They could have had a comfortable retirement. Instead, Sarka van der Merwe, 49, stole and then squandered the hard-earned fortune of her ex-partner Peter Odgers, 69, leaving him penniless. Photo: Terry Haywood
Durban – With a satisfied nod, a penniless Peter Odgers, who turns 70 this year, watched as his former lover went to jail for 10 years for stealing every cent he had during their seemingly happy, decade-long relationship.
Sarka van der Merwe, 49, averted her gaze in the Durban Commercial Crime Court this week, refusing to look at the man she admitted to fleecing of almost R12 million apparently to support her gambling addiction.
The couple lived as husband and wife in Kloof. Van der Merwe also worked as his bookkeeper.
“I gave her a good life. I trusted her and she betrayed that trust,” Odgers said.
“I once owned two dozen properties. I now own none.
“She ruined my life at the wrong time of my life. Nobody will give me a job and I have no credibility with the banks. I owe money which I cannot pay,” the once-flush property developer told magistrate PM Govender, arguing that she must go to jail.
Czechoslovakian-born Van der Merwe, who has adult twin daughters from a previous marriage, pleaded guilty to 1 460 counts of fraud. She said she had access to the bank accounts of two property development companies and a trust Odgers had set up for his own children. Tempted to “use the funds”, she had become a frequent online gambler but had also transferred large amounts to her personal bank accounts, her retail accounts and to accounts belonging to her relatives.
After she was caught out, a probe by forensic auditor Ekhard Volker revealed that between 2006 and 2010, she had transferred more than R10 million into her own accounts and spent more than R1 million on gambling.
Giving evidence this week, Odgers said he had attributed his worsening financial situation to the worldwide economic crisis “because I trusted her absolutely”.
“I knew she gambled. But not to this extent,” he said, denying suggestions that he had encouraged it.
He only discovered the extent of her “heartlessness and callousness” when he later found out that while he was keeping vigil at the bedside of his daughter, who was in a coma in ICU, Van der Merwe was at a nearby casino frittering away his money. Similarly, while he had been recovering from a triple heart bypass, she had gambled away R365 000.
“There are no words to describe how I feel about her. I feel betrayed personally and financially. But I have to get on with it. I have accepted my financial situation. I was once a private bank client. Now I can’t even get an ordinary credit card,” he said.
Although Van der Merwe came clean in her guilty plea, she had not shown remorse, the magistrate said. He referred to a probation officer’s report in which she claimed that Odgers had often given her money and sent her off to casinos to “make money for the business”.
This was in conflict with the evidence of Odgers, who said when she had put gambling winnings into his accounts, she forced him to sign acknowledgments of debt.
The magistrate also noted that Van der Merwe had admitted she had stopped attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings “because she could not afford the petrol”.
“She does not show complete remorse. She is still tendering so-called explanations for why she did what she did and she is more concerned with how she can get away with it,” he said.
He agreed with submissions made by prosecutor Wendy O’Brien that Van der Merwe’s crimes had been premeditated, committed over 56 months during which she could have stopped at any time.
“The defence says he placed undue trust in her. But what would society dictate? A husband and wife should not doubt each other,” he said, sentencing her to direct imprisonment of 10 years.
Van der Merwe did not make an application for leave to appeal.
The Mercury
