Molopo court grants bail to 18 people accused of fraud, theft relating TERS funds

Eighteen people have appeared in the Molopo Magistrate’s Court in Mahikeng, North West, on charges of fraud relating to the Department of Employment and Labour’s Temporary Employer Relief Scheme.

The Hawks arrested two more suspects on Monday. It is alleged that in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, three sole directors of different companies applied for TERS funds for 321 non-existent employees.

The accused – each facing three counts of fraud, or alternatively theft. They were arrested in Gauteng and North West last Sunday and Monday respectively, by members of the Hawks.

It is alleged that the accused defrauded the Department of Labour and Employment of R1.4 million.

The accused allegedly claimed to have companies and staff. Money was allegedly deposited into their business accounts and later transferred to their personal accounts.

The accused were granted bail by the court.  The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Spokesperson Henry Mamothame says, “They are facing three separate charges of fraud alternatively theft and they were all granted bail between R5000 and R10 000 as some of them appear in three charges.”

The court set certain bail conditions.

“The following conditions are imposed, each accused in possession of a valid passport surrender the passport to the investigating officer immediately. The accused should stay away from the complainant or any other state witnesses as the state might identify. The accused are under house arrest for the remainder of this case they are only allowed to go to work and come to court further than that they are under house arrest. Lastly, each accused must sign at the nearest police station as indicated by this court,” says Magistrate Duane Spandiel.

The case has been postponed to 23 January 2023 for further investigation, and more arrests, are expected.