Cape Town - Ten suspects are expected to appear in the Malmesbury Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of fraud and corruption.
According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), its Serious Corruption Investigation team arrested the 10, aged between 27 and 58, on Monday, February 13, and Tuesday, February 14.
Hawks spokesperson in the Western Cape, Warrant Officer Bonnie Nxumalo said the arrests were based on allegations of fraud and corruption.
Allegations were brought to light in April 2022 that some people were defrauding the South African Social Services Agency (Sassa).
“It is alleged that individuals from Eastern Cape and Western Cape submitted fraudulent medical documents to apply for disability grants at Sassa offices in Malmesbury,” Nxumalo said.
“They were allegedly assisted by one of the suspects who is neither a Sassa nor health employee who ‘recruited’ these individuals at a fee.
“The fraudulent activities were conducted with the assistance of a Sassa employee.”
She said the Sassa suffered a loss of more than R1.8 million due to these alleged fraudulent grant payments.
“They are expected to appear in the Malmesbury Magistrates’ Court this morning, February 15. The investigation is continuing and more arrests are imminent,” Nxumalo added.
Last October, three people were arrested by the Hawks in Knysna for Sassa fraud as well as charges of forgery and uttering.
It is alleged the suspects forged and uttered Sassa documents using the agency’s letterhead and recruited members of the community to apply for cash loans claiming they were beneficiaries of Sassa.