The trial of Doctor Tebogo Ephraim Kaeletsa from Pampierstad in the Northern Cape alleged to have defrauded the Department of Labour’s Compensation Fund resumes in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court on 25 January 2012.
Kaeletsa faces charges of allegedly defrauding the Department’s Compensation Fund about R700 000. He is alleged to have defrauded the Fund by submitting forms of patients whom he claims to have treated whereas he did not.
He is out on a bail of R5 000.
A witness testifying in the trial last October told the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court that the accused was under no duress to make statements incriminating himself in the crime.
Jabu Zwane an officer from PKF, an international business advisory organisation contracted by the Department of Labour’s Compensation Fund told the Court, that he had obtained incriminating sworn statements from Kaeletsa out of free will.
Zwane told the Court that at the time of obtaining the information he was acting on behalf of the Department of Labour conducting an investigation into allegations of fraud against Kaeletsa. Zwane testified that he did not inform the accused, that the sworn statements he had obtained from him regarding allegations of his fraud activities would later be used in Court against him.
Attorney Samuel N. Molele argued in the Court that his client (Kaeletsa) was threatened with arrest by Zwane, if he did not craft the statement in a manner prescribed by him.
“I could not threaten any person with arrest, because I am not a police officer,” Zwane told the Court.
Magistrate Dawie Jacobs interjected and said that: “a threat of arrest in not undue influence, especially if the arrest is legal”.
The Compensation Fund is a public entity of the Department of Labour whose duty is to cover for compensation of workers injured during work or diseases sustained or contracted.
A Northern Cape doctor to appear in Court for allegedly defrauding DoL’s Compensation Fund
