R14m student prosecuted

A case of theft has been opened at an East London police station in connection with the R14.1 million overpayment to a student at Walter Sisulu University.

Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Marinda Mills, said IntelliMali officials had laid a charge of theft at the Berlin police station yesterday.

IntelliMali is the service provider who managed the allocation of funds at WSU on behalf of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

“The case has been assigned to a seasoned investigator and the standard investigative procedures will now be followed,” said Mills.

The payment was allegedly made in June into the student’s account. The student, who was only supposed to receive R1 400, alleges that she reported the transaction but was not assisted to correct the mistake.

It has been reported that she then used around R800 000 of the funds before the mistake was finally noticed last month.

The department of higher education and training said that the error, allegedly by a service provider at the university, occurred during a payment run to 3 500 students at the institution who are supported by the NSFAS.

The “slip-up” was allegedly only noticed after a receipt of a high bank balance figure was posted by a friend of the student. – ANA