Durban - The Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Darron Everol Jansen to an effective seven years’ imprisonment for submitting fraudulent claims to the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Jansen was sentenced to an effective seven years’ imprisonment following his conviction on 12 counts of fraud.
She said Jansen, together with his co-accused, Sandile Khwela, used a June 2008 Port Shepstone accident report to submit fraudulent RAF claims.
“While the report and the details of the report were correct, the two populated fraudulent details of complainants before enlisting the assistance of an attorney to submit the claims to the RAF,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Ramkisson-Kara said without the complainants' knowledge and consent, Jansen and Khwela used their ID numbers and personal details.
“These people weren’t in any way involved in the accident,” she added.
She said Jansen and Khwela committed the offences from 2008 to 2011, until the RAF became suspicious of the volume of cases emanating from the KZN South Coast.
As a result, an investigation was launched which resulted in their arrest.
“Had the fraud not been discovered, the RAF could have suffered a potential loss of about R1.4 million,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Khwela chose to plead guilty to the offences and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, while Jansen’s matter went to court.
In court, the NPA said Regional Court Prosecutor Hazel Siraramen led the evidence of 20 witnesses.
Ramkisson-Kara said some of the “complainants” testified in court, confirming that they were not involved in the accidents that were claimed for on their behalf.
“Evidence that surfaced in court was that at some stage, not during the offences, Jansen was a police officer,” she said.
The NPA said the court sentenced Jansen to seven years’ imprisonment, with all counts taken as one for sentencing purposes, and he was deemed unfit to possess a firearm.
“The NPA welcomes this successful prosecution, which was only possible due to the efforts of the prosecution and the investigating team. RAF fraud prejudices the actual victims of accidents, some of whom are severely injured and are in dire need of the funds.”