VANDERBIJLPARK – A 25-year-old woman implicated in an Emfuleni Local Municipality fraud case has launched a new bid for bail.

Janitha van Reenen Coetzee made a brief appearance in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on June 23 following her arrest last month.

The accused allegedly posed as an independent agent, claiming she could help residents secure discounts on their outstanding municipal bills.

Victims handed over money for her to settle their accounts at a discounted rate, but the funds were allegedly never paid to the municipality.

Furthermore, Coetzee allegedly submitted claims to the municipality on behalf of these victims. The municipality then paid a total of approximately R424 000 to the accused, which never reached the intended beneficiaries.

The alleged scam was uncovered when the municipality’s then financial officer, the late Martha Mani Rantsofu, spotted suspicious claims and reported them to her manager.

An internal council investigation followed, and the matter was reported to the police.

Coetzee was arrested on May 20 and initially applied for bail during her first court appearance.

At Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutor Moses Raditsela opposed bail, arguing that the accused was a flight risk because her home address could not be verified.

The state also argued that she was likely to interfere with state witnesses and that her release would not serve the interests of justice.

Lumka Mahanjana, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, confirmed that the case has been postponed to June 29 for a possible bail application based on new facts.