A company director based in the Free State is facing an additional charge of fraud relating to the Covid-19 Temporary Employment Relief Scheme (Ters) fund. The accused, Lelokonyana Isak Letseng (44), appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 10 May, after his arrest earlier on the day.
Letseng is appearing in two different courts facing charges of fraud, allegedly committed through two different companies operating in the province. The cases followed in-depth probing by the law enforcement agencies, the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, and the Special Investigating unit (SIU) at the Department of Employment and Labour.
Capt. Christopher Singo, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the Covid-19 Ters fraud case in Bloemfontein pertains a company known as Bophelo Botle Solutions (Pty) Ltd.
“The investigations revealed the company Bophelo Botle Solutions (Pty) Ltd, owned by Letseng, applied for Covid-19 Ters funding during the period of March 2020 and December 2020, on behalf of individuals who are alleged to have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) made nine different payments to the estimated amount of R800 000 to the company’s account between September 2020 and December 2020. It was further discovered that the applicants never worked for Bophelo Botle Solutions,” said Singo.
The other fraud was allegedly committed through Letseng’s company known as Izuz Gibbor (Pty) Ltd. He allegedly applied for Covid-19 Ters funding online on two different periods between 2020 and 2021.
Singo said during July 2020 and October 2021, Izuz Gibbor (Pty) Ltd also applied for Covid–19 Ters funding on behalf of individuals, alleging they were affected by the pandemic.
“The company then received nine different payments from UIF, estimated at R101 555.92 between July 2020 and December 2021. Further investigation discovered that the individuals never worked for the two companies,” said Singo.
Letseng is expected to re-appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 15 May, regarding the Bophelo Botle Solutions fraud and in the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrates’ Court on 11 June regarding fraud pertaining the Izuz Gibbor (Pty) Ltd fraud case. He was granted bail of R5 000 and R10 000 for each cases, respectively.
