Man arrested over R1.2m Sassa fraud

A 51-year-old man from Kwatyutyu in King William’s Town has been arrested for allegedly defrauding the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) of almost R1.2m.

Hawks spokesperson Lwando Zenzile said that between August 2018 and September 2019 the man had allegedly recruited community members in the same area, Bhisho and Zwelitsha to supply him with identity numbers, which he then provided to Sassa officials and fraudulently created disability grants on their behalf.

“The Hawk’s serious corruption crime investigation unit and crime intelligence teamed up after they were alerted about the [alleged] fraudulent and corrupt activities of the suspect and the Sassa officials,” Zenzile said.

Zenzile said the investigating team had established that after the money was loaded into individual accounts, the suspect had made withdrawals and given the so called beneficiaries half of the money and the rest had been shared by him and some officials.

The man was arrested on Friday and will appear in court soon.

More arrests were expected, Zenzile said.

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