A 43-year-old former school financial administrator accused of embezzling millions from Kathu High School has been denied bail, in a ruling that compelling evidence justified her continued detention.

Maria Jessica Kuhn, who previously managed the school’s finances, appeared in court on Tuesday, after her arrest on 2 July at her Kathu residence near Kuruman in the Northern Cape.

Charges

She faces charges of fraud, forgery and uttering linked to the alleged theft of R4.6 million in school funds.

“The Hawks provincial leadership made a decision to contest bail, and the court denied bail to the accused after being satisfied with compelling facts placed before the court,” the Hawks said.

Modus operandi

According to the Hawks, Kuhn’s modus operandi included creating separate private banking accounts where school funds were diverted.

Financial discrepancies were identified in October 2025 when an audit detected irregularities in the school’s financial records.

Stolen funds

The stolen funds included normal school fees and donor amounts, which are used to pay school governing body (SGB) teachers’ salaries.

Investigations revealed that the accused created fictitious invoices purporting to be from legitimate school suppliers and authorised payments which went to her private account and for her benefit.

The Hawks said the allegations are that Kuhn further paid herself overtime despite the school’s policy prohibiting such payments.

“The accused remains in custody, while the matter will be back in court on 31 August 2026. The case has been transferred to the Serious Commercial Crimes Court.”

The Hawks said investigations are continuing.