Pensioners ‘cashed in fraudulently on social grants’

TWO elderly women who allegedly cashed in on the government’s old age grants while also directors of companies which received more than R140 million in police tenders appeared in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of fraud.

Sarathamoney Sigamoney, 66, and Salamina Khoza, 68, are also facing charges of perjury, theft and contravening of the Social Assistance Act, said Sindisiwe Seboka, spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate.

It is claimed the accused received the older pensioners’ indigent grant while being sole directors of companies awarded tenders worth millions from the SAPS.

Sigamoney is accused of having defrauded the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) of more than R123000, and Khoza R152000.

Sigamoney was arrested yesterday morning, while Khoza was summoned to appear in court as she was previously arrested on similar charges.

Seboka said Sigamoney allegedly applied for a grant with Sassa in April 2017, stating she never worked for the past 20 years. Her application was approved and she is alleged to have received her grant.

Before submitting her application to the Department of Social Development in Gauteng, Sigamoney allegedly submitted a similar application in Kwazulu-natal, but this was declined.

Seboka said although Sigamoney was listed as the director of KJP Traders Ltd – a company which has conducted business with the state since 2012 – she still applied for a grant.

It is claimed this company has cashed in more than R80m from the SAPS furniture contract.

It is further claimed Khoza applied for a grant in September 2014 when she stated she had no source of income.

She allegedly at the time said she had to make ends meet on R400 per month, through selling perishables. Her application was approved and she is said to have received her grant.

According to Seboka, at the time Khoza applied for the old age grant, she was already the sole director of three companies registered on the central supplier database of the National Treasury.

The companies are Isasalethu Construction and Office Consumables Ltd, Sifikile Furniture and Projects Ltd and Siyanqoba Trading and Projects Ltd.

According to the Police Financial Systems, the three companies were recipients of various amounts of money paid to them by the SAPS as they held police tenders.

Khoza is accused of having received R152125 over the years as an old age pension beneficiary, while the companies allegedly received more than R60m from the SAPS tenders it held.

It is further claimed Khoza did not have the authority to transact on the accounts held by her companies as she was fronting for the real owner.

The case against Khoza was postponed to March 23, while Sigamoney has to be back in court on February 10.

She was granted R5000 bail, while Khoza is already out on bail in another case against her.