PRETORIA – Two female company directors have appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, charged with fraud and contravention of the Pension Fund Act in relation to employees’ contributions.
Gauteng spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said it is alleged that between January 2014 and March 2015, the manufacturing company executives, Alessandra Astalos, 53, and Jasmith Ramila, 51, deducted employees’ pension contribution from their salaries and allegedly failed to pay the funds into the pension fund scheme.
“The Springfield based liquidated company, Revelation allegedly deducted approximately R154 000 collectively from employees on the stated period,” Mulamu said.
“A warrant of arrest was issued for the accused’s apprehension and the pair handed themselves in at the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation office in Germiston. They were immediately charged and appeared in court on the same day.”
On Wednesday, the case against the duo was postponed to February 9 next year, for disclosure and they were released on R5 000 bail each.
Last month, in another incident, a Gauteng woman was arrested by the Hawks on charges of alleged fraud involving about a R3.2 million property sale.
At the time, Mulamu said Loyiso Sarah Maqabe, 47, was granted R5 000 bail after she appeared before the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, charged with fraud.
“It is alleged that in March 2019, the accused Loyiso Sarah Maqabe recruited a beneficiary to receive the property sale money into an unauthorised First National Bank account from a potential property buyer in Bedfordview,” Mulamu said.
She said further investigation has revealed that Maqabe, working with an accomplice, allegedly intercepted and re-directed the property buyer to a fraudulent email address where they provided new banking details of which over R3.2m was transferred for the property sale.
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