The suspects will appear in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Friday to face charges of fraud, money laundering and theft.
Image used for illustrative purposes. Picture: X / @UIFBenefits
The Hawk’s Serious Corruption Investigation team has arrested 13 suspects linked to alleged Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) fraud in Limpopo.
Officers working under Operation John Vul’gate carried out the arrests on Tuesday and Wednesday, with police not ruling out further arrests.
The suspects will appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Friday to face charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.
Alleged UIF fraud in Limpopo
The suspects are accused of coordinating to extract R732 000 from the Burgersfort Department of Employment and Labour via fraudulent UIF claims.
The department detected anomalies on its system, prompting a complaint which was investigated by the Hawks.
“It is alleged that certain individuals were recruited to submit UIF claims on the basis that they had previously been employed and retrenched by various companies.
“During the verification process, the companies allegedly indicated that they had no employment records corresponding with the claims in question,” Limpopo police stated.
Consultations with National Prosecuting Authority resulted in the issuing of arrest warrants, with Hawks management praising the outcome.
“Our responsibility is to protect public resources and ensure that funds intended for legitimate beneficiaries are not diverted through fraudulent activities.
“We will continue to pursue those suspected of abusing public funds and ensure that matters are properly investigated and placed before the courts,” stated Hawks Limpopo head Major General Gops Govender.
Eastern Cape UIF arrests
The arrest comes a week after two women in the Eastern Cape were arrested for allegedly defrauding the UIF of R1.1 million.
The Department of Employment and Labour stated that 47-year-old Nandipha Tutani and 50-year-old accomplice Nobuntu Mjili were linked to UIF fraud dating back to 2018.
Tutani was employed at the department’s employer services section where she was responsible for capturing, verifying and filing beneficiary and employer declarations.
Tutani and Mjili are accused of coordinating to funnel fraudulent UIF claims into various bank accounts.
The pair were released on R2 000 bail last week and will return to court in Gqeberha on 5 October.
