Johannesburg – The Hawks have arrested a 47-year-old company director who allegedly and fraudulently claimed over R3.2 million in Covid-19 social relief funds from the Unemployment Insurance Funds.
The woman was arrested in the Mtititi community, near Malamulele in Limpopo, by members of the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation team.
It is alleged the company director claimed over R3.2m from the UIF’s Covid-19 social relief funds for more than 242 workers whose contracts had already been terminated before the lockdown came into effect in March.
Captain Matimba Maluleke, a spokesperson for the Hawks in Limpopo, said the Hawks received the complaint about the director after they claimed up to R3.2m from the UIF between April and August.
“Between April and August 2020, the suspect who is a director of Mtititi Drop in Center allegedly claimed R3.2m Covid-19 social relief funds from the UIF on behalf of her 242 former Malamulele based EPWP workers.
“It was established during the investigation that the workers’ contract was terminated before the country's lockdown was declared by the state president.
“It is further alleged that the claimed money never reached the pockets of the former workers,” said Maluleke.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Malamulele Magistrate's Court on Monday to face fraud charges, Maluleke said.
The Hawks has been busy in recent weeks, making a string of high profile arrests, including those of former Free State Human Settlements MEC Olly Mlamleli, former head of department in the same department, Nthimotse Mokhesi, and Blackhead Consulting owner Edwin Sodi in the multimillion rand asbestos removal project.
In an unrelated matter in KZN, businessman Thoshan Panday and former KZN top cop Mmammonye Ngobeni have also been arrested and released on bail for their alleged corruption in the 2010 World Cup accommodation tender scandal for police officers.
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