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UIF TERS: Hawks swoop on directors for alleged fraud [LOOK]
Three company directors bought a truck, a taxi and land with some of the R10 million the UIF TERS fund paid out for its ghost employees.
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The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Germiston swooped on three company directors for allegedly using ghost employees to defraud the Covid-19 UIF Temporary Relief Scheme Fund (TERS) of approximately R10 million last year.
The trio were arrested on Thursday 7 October 2021, when warrants for their arrest were executed in Polokwane following an investigation into a UIF TERS fraud allegation that started around March 2021 Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo said.
He said the investigation had uncovered that between April and June 2020, a company known as Denmag Trading directed by Levy Moremi, 36, Treasure Moremi, 34, and Anna Moremi, 33, had applied for Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) TERS benefits for its employees.
“The company has about 29 personnel in its payroll, but the application made was for 537 employees which means that the 508 employees were non-existent,” Mbambo said.
“The application was processed successfully and a sum of over R10 million was paid into the company’s account wherein it was laundered into various bank accounts by the trio for self-gain. Several transfers were made to Levy Moremi, his other company Best Enough Trading and to the company’s Administration Officer, Anna Moremi and to her company, SFM Trading Enterprise,” he said.
Here are the three suspects:
Mbambo said that the money was used to buy a truck, a mini bus and land, as well as other valuables.
“All of these have since been confiscated as they are deemed to be proceeds of crime, he said.
The three suspects appeared in the Polokwane Commercial Specialised Crimes Court, sitting in the High Court on the same day, and were granted bail ranging from R5000 to R10 000 each.
The matter was remanded to 21 October 2021, where it will be heard in the Pretoria Commercial Specialised Crimes Court.
Provincial Head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa commended the Serious Corruption Investigation team for their professionalism in thoroughly investigating the UIF TERS fraud corruption matter.
