The ongoing Free State Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime team’s investigation into the Covid-19 pandemic’s Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Ters), saw three women appear in court on Monday, 18 November, facing charges of fraud and money laundering. One of the suspects’ business is unregistered, while the others have theirs registered.
The duo of Marx Maria Karien (58) and Khahliso Isabel Motseremeli (48) appeared in the Bethlehem Serious Commercial Crime Court, while Maletsatsi Julia Mathibela (49) appeared in the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrates’ Court. This followed their arrest by the Bethlehem Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team.
The elite crime-fighting agency pounced on them on prima facia that they allegedly defrauded the Department of Labour of large amounts of money by submitting claims for Covid-19 Ters benefits on behalf of their entities in 2020.
Capt. Christopher Singo, said Karien, director of Pop Snax (Pty) Ltd, submitted claims for Covid-19 Ters benefits of more than R1 million between March and October, while Motseremeli, owner of a non-profit organisation (NPO) called Paballong Day Care Center, had claims worth R36 247.05 submitted between March and April. Mathibela’s claims of more than R199 000 were made through an unregistered company with ghost workers, Cyclonic Holdings.
Motseremeli
“The funds were approved by the department and deposited into the company account of Karien. It was further reported that only a portion of the money was used to pay employees, and the rest was for personal use,” said Singo. He said the court granted Karien bail of R5 000 and remanded the case to 28 November.
Singo said probing revealed that an amount of R36 247.05 was paid to the accused Motseremeli for her personal benefit instead of the workers. He said the accused submitted Covid-19 Ters claims to the Department of Education for personal benefit through her NPO. The case against Motseremeli has been postponed to 18 January 2025, with her granted R1 000 bail.
Mathibela reappeared in court following her arrest in September, and subsequent release on bail of R5 000.
