A LARGE fraud syndicate involving false Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims operating along the South Coast has been cracked by the RAF’s Forensic Investigation Department.
In a surprising twist, a doctor, a prison warder and a police reservist from the South Coast have also been linked to the fraudulent acts.
The syndicate allegedly sold false RAF claims for accidents to attorneys in Pretoria.
Dr Fortune Busisiwo Tandekile Cemane and Faith Rozani face 44 charges of fraud, amounting to the value of R 17.1-million. They were expected to appear in the Port Shepstone Regional Court last Friday.
Dr Cemane, from Harding, is currently out on bail of R60 000. However, her attorney, Siboniso Dlamini, informed the court that she couldn’t appear in court due to depression.
Attorney Dlamini told the court that Ms Rozani couldn’t appear in court as she had an asthma attack, seemingly caused by journalists, who had tried to take her photograph outside the courtroom.
Magistrate Johann Bester ordered that both women be issued a warrant of arrest to appear in court on February 28.
He told the court that the media has the right to take pictures and that the accused should get a hold of themselves and control their emotions.
Ms Rozani was later seen by reporters in the court’s parking area, and she appeared to be fine.
Hamilton Mchunu, a prison warder, and Abel (Eric) Naidoo, a police reservist, from Port Shepstone were both arrested last Thursday. They appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court.
Together they have racked up 20 charges of fraud totalling R 2.2-million. State prosecutor, Werner Gibson, from Randburg, didn’t oppose bail, and suggested bail of R20 000 be granted for Mr Mchunu, who acted as an agent.
Attorney Thulile Sosibo said Mr Mchunu has four children and was in no position to raise the amount for bail. Magistrate Piet Coetzer fixed bail at R8 000.
Attorney Sosibo said her client, Mr Naidoo, was disabled and was not permanently employed. She asked for Mr Naidoo to be released on a warning, which Magistrate Coetzer granted. The case was postponed to February 28.
In a separate case, Thandi Cele, who also acted as an agent, has been charged with five charges of fraud amounting to R500 000.
Despite hearing that Ms Cele sewed clothes and earned R300 a week, Magistrate Coetzer granted bail of R3000. The case was postponed to February 28 for further investigation.
