Two Mpumalanga court clerks arrested for fraud, theft

Two Department of Justice administration clerks who were arrested on Tuesday for fraud and theft have been released on warning by the Secunda Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga.

Portia Majola, 55, and Thokozile Sophie Nofuya, 55, appeared in court on the same day they were arrested by the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation team in Secunda, for allegedly defrauding the Department of Justice of R15,000.

Majola and Nofuya are both employed by the department as administration clerks at the Secunda Magistrate’s Court and at the Evander Magistrate’s Court, respectively.

It is alleged that during November 2020 the pair colluded and submitted fraudulent claims for witnesses’ transport allowance on behalf of witnesses who were not even in court on the days written on the documents. They also did not attach the prosecutor’s certificates on the forms.

Police spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said an internal investigation was established and the witnesses were interviewed, confirming that they were not in court on the days mentioned on the submitted documents.

“A case was opened and transferred to the Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Secunda for further investigation.

“During the investigation, the duo was linked to the crime and the department was found to have suffered a loss amount of R15 000,” Sekgotodi said in a statement.

The pair’s case was postponed to 1 February 2022 for them to apply for legal aid.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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