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Konica Minolta Employees Takes $3.6M and Flees OverseaS
Lowly paid worker Linda Sisaveth Vongkeneta ‘fled with $3.6m’
By Vanda Carson
A TRUSTED former payroll officer at printing giant Konica Minolta has been accused of siphoning $3.6 million from the company and fleeing overseas.Linda Sisaveth Vongkeneta, allegedly stole the money over six years in 81 separate tranches.
There is not much evidence how she spent the allegedly stolen money, but Supreme Court judge Philip Hallen accepted she probably paid mortgages on two Sydney homes with some funds.
She was earning just $34,000 a year when she started working for the company in 1995, and continued to work for them at their North Ryde headquarters for 17 years.
Despite her low income she was able to purchase a house in Edensor Park for $620,000 in June, 2003, and an apartment in Homebush for $355,000 in November, 2003.
The company did not rush to court to freeze Ms Vongkeneta’s assets until two weeks after Mrs Vongkeneta and her family left the country, the court heard.
The company did not react until July 27, which gave her time to leave Australia on July 15 last year with her husband, Houmchanh Simmalavong, and their two young children.
The family was last known to be living in Bangkok, Thailand, the court was told. Despite repeated attempts to contact Mrs Vongkeneta, none of the family appeared in the Supreme Court to respond to the claims of theft.
On April 24 Justice Hallen ordered a judgment for $3.6 million in favour of Konica and declared the Edensor Park house was the property of the company.
The court heard the company had so far not recovered a cent from Mrs Vongkeneta or her husband.
Konica has also succeeded in obtaining court orders relating to the Homebush apartment, which was sold to Mrs Vongkeneta’s daughter Sutari Vongkeneta for $260,000 in February, 2012, a figure allegedly less than its true market value.
Sutari must also tell Konica of her mother’s address if she becomes aware of her whereabouts.
The court heard Sutari had had no contact with her mother or step-father since they left the country last year.
The court heard accountants had traced the movement of money from Konica Minolta’s "wages account" at Westpac "directly to" Mrs Vongkeneta’s ANZ bank account she holds jointly with her husband.
No criminal charges have been laid against Mrs Vongkeneta or any members of her family. Konica Minolta did not return calls seeking comment.
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