PRETORIA.– A 62 year old suspect was arrested on Sunday by the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation in Hammanskraal for alleged fraud and theft linked to the UIF COVID – 19 Temporary Employer and Employee Relief Scheme (TERS).
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi this brings the number of people arrested linked to UIF TERS to fourteen (14).
“Some of the suspects are out on bail whilst the 62 year old Hammanskraal pensioner will be charged with fraud alternatively theft and money laundering.”
The 62 year old pensioner was arrested after he failed to disclose that he became an instant R4.7 millionaire, the money which was meant to remunerate employees of a certain company to be disclosed in court papers said Mulaudzi.
It is understood the suspect worked for the same company and allegedly used the same reference number from his previous employer’s to apply for his UIF pay out.
It was later found after numerous enquiries by the company that the money was actually paid but was redirected to the suspect’s account.
A case was registered and almost R4.6 million has already been recovered. He allegedly used almost R100 000.00 on himself.
He is expected to appear in the Pretoria Specialised commercial crime on Monday.
