Teboho Setena
An employee of the Department of Employment and Labour in the Free State, charged with fraud, is set to reappear in the Ladybrand Magistrates’ Court on 4 June.
This appearance of the suspect, Keneiloe Christina Sefatsa (41), comes after her arrest by the Bethlehem Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit on allegations of fraud involving more than R600 000.
“Her arrest follows an investigation into allegations of defrauding a client of the Department of Employment and Labour between 2016 and 2021, in handling payments made by the client to the department,” said WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks.
“Investigations revealed that Sefatsa, working at a department office in Ficksburg, apparently deceitfully sent a client an email to inform them of a change of the department’s banking details for Compensation Fund contributions.
“The client then made payments using the banking details as provided by Sefatsa from 2016 to 2021.”
Matoti said the alleged fraud was discovered in 2022 after the client had approached the department, requesting a Certificate of Good Standing from the Compensation Fund.
“The client was told that her company was behind with payments for five years and owed more than R600 000. She then submitted proof of payments to the department. It was then discovered that the client had been making payments to the wrong bank account,” said Matoti.
She said Sefatsa has since been released on bail set at R5 000.
