Pretoria ‘pensioners’ in police corruption case in hot water about Sassa fraud

Two Pretoria pensioners, who allegedly benefitted from multi-million rand fraudulent police tenders, have recently been charged with unlawfully receiving Sassa pension grants for years.

Both Sarathamoney Sigamoney Devi (66) and Salamina Khoza (68) are accused of unlawfully benefiting from states’ pension grants meant for the poor – all while being directors of companies that were awarded police tenders worth millions.

Investigating Directorate (ID) Sindisiwe Seboka said Devi received more than R123 000 and Khoza received R152 000 from Sassa grants.

Both pensioners were charged with perjury, fraud, theft and contravention of the Social Assistance Act.

“On April 13, 2017, Devi applied to Sassa, stating that she hasn’t worked for 20 years.”

This was despite Devi being listed as the director of a company, namely KJP Traders Pty (with her son Matthew Pillay). The company is alleged to have conducted business with the government as early as 2012. Seboka said Devi did not disclose her affiliation with the company to Sassa.

The charge sheet stipulates that the company was estimated to have received more than R80-million for supplying police with furniture.

The tender is under investigation as ID alleges that it was unlawful.

Seboka said Khoza from Soshanguve applied to Sassa in September 2014.

Khoza allegedly told Sassa that she had no steady income and that she was surviving on R400 per month by selling perishables.

But at the time, Khoza was already a sole director of three companies, namely Isasalethu Construction, Office Consumables and Sifikile Furniture – this was allegedly not disclosed in her application.

“Between September 1, 2014, and August 31, 2022, she is accused of having received R152 125 from Sassa while allegedly receiving more than R60-million from her three companies.”

Seboka said Khoza did not have authority to transact on the companies’ bank accounts, but a Pretoria businessman named Kishene Chetty was the sole signatory of the accounts.

“Khoza was fronting for Kishene Chetty who was the beneficial owner of the three companies,” she said.

Both accused are out on bail and their cases were postponed to early 2023.

The companies that Khoza and Devi are allegedly listed as directors are all under investigation by ID for allegedly having attained the tenders from police illegally.

ALSO READ: Two more patients left to suffer at Steve Biko

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram