Three former employees of the Department of Labour’s (DoL) Compensation Fund (CF) are to appear on Wednesday, 7 August in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for allegedly defrauding the organisation of R476 150, 58.
Maxwell Ramaphosa, Samuel Mfeleng, and (Ms) Kgabo Johanna Methi formerly employed by the DoL’s Compensation Fund face three counts of fraud and four counts of money laundering. The trio is out on a warning. The accused have pleaded not guilty.
Ramaphosa, Mfeleng and Methi’s fellow accused and fraudster Dr Jones Mothemola Modau, a physiotherapist based in Rustenburg, North West pleaded guilty in March 2012 – in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court – where the matter was originally heard – to defrauding DoL’s Compensation Fund. For his role in the matter the fraudster (Modau) was sentenced to five-years suspended.
The matter involving Ramaphosa, Mfeleng and Methi was subsequently transferred to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court in a separation of trial. The accused are alleged to have falsified and inflated claims above the normal applicable rates. It is alleged Ramaphosa, Mfeleng and Methi recruited Modau to submit fraudulent claims which were later processed and payments were paid into his accounts.
The trio is alleged to have transferred R476 150, 58 into the four different banking accounts of Modau. The money was later shared amongst them.
Ramaphosa and Mfeleng are also embroiled in other two alleged fraud cases. In one case they were part of a group of seven former employees including a physiotherapist, Abel Diokana accused of defrauding the DoL’s CF about
R1 million. The physio (Diokana) pleaded guilty on April 26 and is awaiting sentencing. He is due to appear in Court on 23 August.
In the other case they (Ramaphosa and Mfeleng) are accused of defrauding DoL’s Compensation Fund about R2,1-million. In this case their fellow accused Jurry Sehunoe, a self-confessed fraud physiotherapist operating from Rustenburg in the North West pleaded guilty and was handed a five-year suspended sentence.
The Compensation Fund is a public entity of the Department of Labour. The Fund offers cover for occupational injuries, disablement or diseased sustained from the hazardous work environment.