Cape Town - A former employee of Bergrivier Municipality in Piketberg, Pieter Jacobus Adams, has been charged with 435 counts of fraud following his arrest by the Hawks.
It is alleged he fraudulently issued 700 918.3 units of free electricity tokens for prepaid meters for customers to the value of over R1.3 million.
Adams, 56, worked for the municipality as a chief clerk: credit control from July 1, 2002, until his resignation on November 25, 2019.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said an internal investigation had been done. It was discovered that during the period March 2016 to September 2019, the accused allegedly issued electricity vouchers to prepaid customers without declaring the funds to the municipality.
“It is alleged that on September 19, 2019, through preliminary investigation, it was discovered that the prepaid electricity meter of the accused was replaced and changed to an indigent tariff and the token to effect the said change was issued by the accused himself.
“Free electricity tokens were issued on a monthly basis in respect of the same prepaid meters and that free electricity tokens were issued outside normal office hours and within normal office hours.
“A number of prepaid meters had significant amounts of electricity units loaded on them in circumstances when the customers had not bought electricity from the municipality for a long time and therefore ought to have had few units if any at all.
“No supporting documents could be found for the issuing of free electricity tokens generated by the accused,” Hani said.
“The accused would receive cash from the customers and keep it for himself and then load free electricity tokens on the system for the customers, which he was not entitled to do.”
Bergrivier municipal manager Hanlie Linde said Adams did not provide a reason for his resignation to the municipality and they could not comment about his personality.
“Bergrivier Municipality is serious about good governance and maintaining a clean administration. We have zero tolerance for fraud and corruption and because this matter is sub judice we cannot provide further comment.”
Adams appeared in the Piketberg District Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and is now out on R500 bail. The matter has been postponed to March 24 for legal representation.