FOUR Post Office employees who worked at Tsheseng Village in QwaQwa, Free State have been arrested for fraud and money laundering.
Matshediso Mokoena (35), Ntswaki Sefako (38), Mabuti Mbongo (45) and Sabi Mokwena (58) made a brief appearance in the Tseseng Magistrates Court on Friday, 19 January.
Their appearance came after they were arrested and charged with fraud, money laundering and contravention of the Cyber Crime Act and Electronic Communication Transaction Act.
According to Hawks spokeswoman Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti, during the period of 2020 and 2022, the four accused were working at the Tseseng Post Office and were responsible for performing transactions to assist Sassa beneficiaries in obtaining their grants.
Matoti said the accused were issued with unique numbers which are not transferable.
ALSO READ: Lydia (101) o rata kuku and dances in heels!
"They inflated the amounts accounted for as entries on the system, misappropriating the entity funds as valid amounts claimed to have been paid to the valid beneficiaries. The funds were instead transferred into the accused known bank accounts and their associates. The matter was reported to the Hawks in Bethlehem for further investigation.
"The amounts that were transferred to the accused were revealed during investigations. A total amount of R324 950 was transferred to Mokoena's bank account, R887 010 was transferred to Sefako's bank account; R7 527 107 was transferred to Mbongo's bank account, and R1 700 was transferred to Mokwena's bank account," she said.
The Tseseng Post Office suffered a total loss of more than R8,7 million.
Mokoena, Sefako, and Mbongo were granted bail of R10 000 each, and Mokwena was released on R5 000 bail.
The case has been postponed to Monday, 22 January and will now be heard in the Bethlehem Specialised Commercial Crime Court.
