Amaraseen Moodley, 47, is one of the three that faces charges of fraud for issuing fraudulent vehicle roadworthy certificates. PHOTO: Hawks
Three face court for vehicle testing fraud after being caught three times
Three people face charges of fraud and will reappear in court for issuing fraudulent vehicle roadworthy certificates in Mpumalanga.
Amaraseen Moodley, 47, is one of the three that faces charges of fraud for issuing fraudulent vehicle roadworthy certificates. PHOTO: Hawks
Three people working at a vehicle testing centre in Mpumalanga appeared in court for fraudulently issuing vehicle roadworthy certificates.
The three, Muzikayise Ngalo, 52, Sameera Khalid Cajee, 38, and Amaraseen Moodley, 47, appeared before the Piet Retief Regional Court earlier this week.
HAWKS FINALLY POUNCE ON FRAUDSTERS
The alleged fraudsters have been under the watchful eye of the Hawks and their employer since May 2018. The trio work at a testing station at the Piet Retief Private vehicle testing station.
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After several complaints of the three possibly committing fraud, their employer decided to look into the matter, Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said.
The vehicle testing station decided to probe this matter and entrap the three. Their employer arranged for people to pose as if they required vehicle roadworthy certificates. Money was then paid in exchange for the fraudulent certificates, she said.
“The accused were entrapped on three occasions – May 2018, August 2019 and April 2021.”
Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi
She said the entrapment over the years was to gather sufficient evidence.
“During the investigation, it was established that vehicle roadworthy certificates were fraudulently issued to vehicles that were not tested in terms of the National Road Traffic Act.”
TRIO’S FRAUD MODUS OPERANDI
The trio would use the details of someone else in order to process an application. But they would instead issue the fraudulent vehicle roadworthy certificates to another person, said Sekgotodi.
“It’s like if someone uses your particulars to create a fake passport for a foreign national.”
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“The particulars of other people, who did not drive any vehicles to Piet Retief testing station, were fraudulently used as applicants who applied for a roadworthy test.”
The roadworthy certificate would then be printed and issued in exchange for money.
“The matter is postponed to 26 September but the Hawks are confident that more arrests will be made,” said Sekgotodi.
