The group of seven former public servants including a physiotherapist alleged to have defrauded the Department of Labour’s (DoL) Compensation Fund (CF) are expected to plead in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court when they appear on Wednesday, 24 October.
The group of seven alleged fraud accused include: Maxwell Ramaphosa, Samuel Mfeleng, Kgabo Methi, Debbie Venter, Tendani Mukomafhedzi and Billy Ramskin (all former employees of DoL’s CF), and physiotherapist Abel Diokana.
Their matter was postponed on September 25 when Diokana failed to show-up and Magistrate Mariette Louw issued a warrant of arrest for him.
Diokana’s lawyer told the court that he had received a call from his client’s (Diokana’s) niece who informed him that “Diokana is ill and has been admitted to hospital”.
The “Group of seven” faces four counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering amounting to R949 175,11. The accused are out on a warning and are yet to plead.
The septet is alleged to have been working as a syndicate. It is alleged the six former employees of the Department of Labour are alleged to have connived to “dribble the electronic system” and recruited Diokana to submit his practice number and banking details for fraudulent payouts to be made to his account from CF.
The seven working together are alleged to have drained the Department of Labour by channeling the fraudulently claimed funds into Diokana’s personal account and that of his Driving School business to disguise the transfers.
In papers before the Court it is alleged that Diokana did not render services to patients for claims submitted. Diokana, it is further alleged would later withdraw. The accused would allegedly contact each other to meet at a specific location to share the money.
The matter was first handled at the Pretoria Specialised Crime Court. It was on December 12 transferred to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
Accused number one and two (Ramaphosa and Mfeleng) are also entangled in two other alleged fraud cases of defrauding the Department of Labour. In the first case, they are accused of defrauding the Department of Labour R2,1-million. They are out on a bail of R3000.
In the second case, they are part of a quartet including a physiotherapist. In this case they are alleged to have defrauded the department R467 150,58. In this matter they are out on a warning.
The Compensation Fund is a public entity under the authority of Department of Labour. The Fund provides cover for workers injured during work, for illness and death resulting sustained during occupation.
Enquiries:
Page Boikanyo
082 809 3195
‘Group of seven’ including ‘absent’ physio accused of allegedly defrauding the Department of Labour expected to plead
