Cops, doctors, pastor bust over RAF scam

Top: Senzokuhle Stanley Zama and Kesandran Rangasamy Bottom: Bongani Ian Dladla and Tony Ndovela

Top: Senzokuhle Stanley Zama and Kesandran Rangasamy Bottom: Bongani Ian Dladla and Tony Ndovela

Published Mar 5, 2015

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Johannesburg - Three police officers have been arrested in what police say is a major breakthrough involving a syndicate that committed fraud worth millions of rand against the Road Accident Fund.

The RAF, which has been beset by financial problems, is funded through the fuel levy.

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene increased the fuel levy by 30c a litre during his Budget speech last week, and the RAF levy by 50c.

News of the increase did not sit well with motorists, who had just begun to feel the relief of a series of fuel price cuts.

The relief was short-lived, and the petrol price increased by 96c a litre on Wednesday.

In recent years, the RAF has been described as technically bankrupt, with the auditor-general in 2012 saying a lack of internal controls had not curbed the wasting of taxpayers’ money.

But it was the RAF in this case that recognised millions of rand in claims that did not seem right and alerted the police.

It resulted in a crime intelligence investigation that uncovered an alleged syndicate that covered the whole country, with police, doctors and a pastor said to be involved.

Police commissioner General Riah Phiyega used the case as an example of what would happen to other officers if they took part in crime.

Phiyega said she hoped the case showed that the SAPS was serious about rooting out the bad elements in the police service.

“For us, these arrests tell two stories. The first is that management is resolute in its decision to vigorously investigate all crimes involving police officers.

“While we are not proud that we are arresting our own, we hope that it will send a very strong message to other officers that management has drawn a line with regard to police criminality. Whoever crosses that line should expect no mercy,” Phiyega warned.

She also said the Crime Intelligence Unit was starting to deliver results.

“I have assessed their project pipeline and I can assure the public that there are more positive results to come,” Phiyega said.

Crime intelligence began looking into the case in 2013 and has made seven arrests in KwaZulu-Natal in the past three weeks.

Police sources close to the investigation said, however, that they believed the alleged syndicate had a reach that stretched to Gauteng, as documents from KwaZulu-Natal went to Pretoria, from where they were then submitted to the RAF.

It is believed that attorneys may also be involved.

All seven suspects appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court this week and were released on R2 000 bail each.

They will appear in court again on May 5.

The first arrest, that of Constable Bongani Ian Dladla, was made on February 24, followed on February 27 by the arrest of Constable Senzokuhle Stanley Zama.

Both policemen worked at Gamalakhe police station in Port Shepstone.

They allegedly completed an accident report, but in assessing the claim, the RAF discovered that the owner of the taxi involved in the accident had died long before, and that the taxi had not been in use since the owner’s demise.

Police approached 14 people who had been submitted as claimants. All of them said they were not involved in an accident, had suffered no injuries and had not received any medical treatment.

They all said the signatures on the claim forms were not theirs.

Dladla had allegedly commissioned five of the claim forms and Zama allegedly the other nine.

The claims were R100 000 per person, amounting to a total of R1.4 million, according to the authorities.

This was followed by the arrests of Dr Thabiso Thusi from Turton Clinic, and Dr Y Khan and Warrant Officer Kesandran Rangasamy of Port Shepstone.

They are facing 11 counts of fraud between them.

They allegedly used the same modus operandi as Dladla and Zama.

The claims between them amounted to R1.1m, the authorities say.

A sixth arrest was made – that of Dr Sydney Moletsane.

His modus operandi was slightly different in that the alleged false claim was based on a real accident, but there had been no passengers.

The RAF, however, had received claims from 14 people.

The total claims were worth R9m.

Police said the man they believed to be the mastermind of the alleged fraud is pastor Tony Ndovela, who is also from Port Shepstone.

The pastor is facing 14 counts of fraud.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said the investigation was continuing and more arrests could be expected soon.

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The Star

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