Money from heaven to prison: a student spends part of a million dollars received by mistake!

In South Africa, the judicial system has decided the case of a woman who spent a large sum of money obtained by mistake. An ex-student, by the name of Sibongile Mani, who had inadvertently benefited from an astronomical sum supposed to be her scholarship, received a prison sentence for her reckless purchases. Originally, the young woman was to receive a modest monthly allowance of 1,400 rand, roughly 100 US dollars in 2018. However, a financial blunder awarded her 14 million rand, the equivalent of one million dollars. This error led Sibongile Mani to indulge in extravagant expenses that went far beyond his real needs.

A five-year prison sentence

This severe sentence was handed down in open court and retransmitted on national television, underscoring the seriousness of the case. The remaining balance of the original amount was recovered from the convict’s account. The country’s student financial assistance service, known for supporting students from modest backgrounds, took three months to identify the erroneous transfer to Mani’s account.

The consequences of a transfer error

This case highlights the legal repercussions of the inappropriate use of illegitimately collected funds, even if their receipt is the result of a misunderstanding on the part of financial organizations. A reminder that banking errors must be reported, or face the law.