Hardly three weeks after receiving a complaint of alleged Covid-19 social relief fund fraud from the Mtititi community outside Malamulele, the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team arrested a 47-year-old director of a company this morning.
"Between April and August 2020 the suspect, who is a director of the Mtititi Drop in Centre, allegedly claimed R3.2 million Covid-19 social relief funds from the UIF on behalf of her 242 former Malamulele-based Extended Public Works Program (EPWP) workers. It was established during the investigation that the workers' contracts were terminated before the country's lockdown was declared by the State President. It is further alleged that the claimed money never reached the pockets of the former workers," said provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke.
The suspect will appear in the Malamulele Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of fraud.