Former Clive Peeters accountant pleads guilty to $20m theft

Administrators yet to recover $4 million.

Clive Peeters accountant Sonya Causer pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $20 million from her former employer, the ABC reported today. 

At a plea hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court, the 39 -year-old former Clive Peeters employee pleaded guilty to 24 counts of theft, buying 44 houses, luxury cars and $17,000 of jewellery over an 18-month spending spree.

Last August, Clive Peeters alleged that a staff member falsified entries in payroll accounts and transferred $20 million in cash out of the business into a personal bank account to buy and sell real estate. Administrators recovered most of the missing money.

The discrepancies were discovered on 30 July last year and the Crown argued in its case contributed to the collapse of the whitegoods retailer.

Last month, Harvey Norman bought the business from administrators for $55 million.

Related coverage:

• Clive Peeters collapse costs Rick Hart customers $1m
• Clive Peeters appoints voluntary administrators
• WA Govt turns to Twitter to calm Rick Hart customers
• Six Clive Peeters shops to close Tuesday
• Q&A with WA commerce dept: gift vouchers possibly illegal
• Harvey Norman scoops up Clive Peeters stores and stock