Couple Jailed and Fined R100K for Defrauding Labour Department After Claiming Form TERS for 95 Fake Workers

• A criminal couple will spend years behind bars for scamming the Department of Labour out of over R600K
• The couple made up 95 fake employees to claim from the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic
• The Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced the couple on two counts of fraud and issued a R100 000 fine

JOHANNESBURG - A Johannesburg couple's scheme to swindle the Department of Labour has ended in jail sentences and hefty fines for the pair.

Refilwe Kgaje and her husband, Isaac Phiri, used her company, Pusoloso Engineering Services, to unlawfully claim from the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS).

Joburg couple defraud TERS of over R600K

According to a statement from the NPA seen by Briefly News, between August 2020 and March 2021, Kgaje and Phiri submitted 95 names to the Labour Department of fictitious employees they claimed were working for Pusoloso Engineering Services.

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The aim was to use the fake employees to benefit from the TERS during the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme worked, and the department paid over R600 000 into Phiri's account.

Joburg couple's scam crumbles after fake employee applies for SRD grant

The couple's scam crumbled when one of the people whose name they used tried to register for the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant.

The system picked up that the person was employed by Kgaje's company and they promptly opened a case with the Department of Labour, and an investigation was launched.

Kgaje and Phiri handed themselves over to the police soon after their house of cards fell apart, IOL reported.

Johannesburg court hands down hefty sentences

The Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Kgaje to three years imprisonment for fraud and 15 years suspended for five years on an additional fraud charge.

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Her husband, Phiri, was given a 15-year direct imprisonment sentence for fraud. The court also orderedKgaje and her company to pay a R100 000 fine.

Ipid arrests 7 Gauteng police officers for robbing café of more than R250K and assaulting employees

Briefly News reported that seven Gauteng police officers appeared in the dock on Monday, 31 July, after they were arrested for robbery and assault.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) arrested the police officers on Friday, 28 July, after they handed themselves in at the Benoni Police Station.

The seven cops reportedly terrorised managers and staff members at LM Café in Nigel, Ekurhuleni.

Source: Briefly News