Covid grant fraudsters sentenced in Richards Bay

In a first for KZN, the Provincial Commercial Crimes Investigation unit based in Richards Bay secured the first convictions of public servants who exploited the country’s R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.

The accused Sinothile Mthembu, Goodman Mthembu and Vusumuzi Ntombela were sentenced in the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

The trio, who appeared on separate cases from Melmoth, Empangeni and eSikhaleni, were found guilty of fraud by making a misrepresentation to Sassa when applying for the SRD grant, posing as unemployed people while they were employed by government departments and did not qualify for the grant.

The court sentenced Sinothile Mthembu to a fine of R10 000 or two years’ imprisonment wholly suspended for five years, Goodman Mthembu to a R20 000 fine or four years’ imprisonment wholly suspended for five years, while Ntombela was fined R10 000 or two years’ imprisonment wholly suspended for five years.

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