Jurry Sehunoe (34), the self-confessed fraud physiotherapist who defrauded the Department of Labour’s (DoL) Compensation Fund (CF) is to appear in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court when the defence submit arguments in mitigation ahead of his sentencing.
Sehunoe who hails from Rustenburg in the North West province, confessed in October 2011 to defrauding the Department of Labour’s CF R2,1 million. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud and 26 counts of money laundering. The fraudster is out on a bail of R3000.
The fraud physio pleaded guilty to siphoning the department by submitting fraudulent claims for patients that he did not treat. The fraudster was allegedly recruited by members of a syndicate, which allegedly included former employees of Department of Labour’s Compensation Fund, to submit fraudulent claims and banking details.
The syndicate is alleged to have processed the fictitious claims and its members would later meet and share their loot. A senior manager in Risk Management Unit at the Department of Labour testified last month that one of the fraudulent lump sums paid to Sehunoe was that of R206 000, that was paid to him on 9 February 2009.
In the matter, Sehunoe was originally charged with two co-defendants - Maxwell Ramaphosa and Samuel Mfeleng - who are both former employees of the Department of Labour.
The case of Ramaphosa and Mfeleng has in a separation of trial been transferred to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. The duo has pleaded not guilty in the matter. They are also out on a bail of R3 000.
Ramaphosa and Mfeleng are also entangled in two other alleged fraud cases against the department, which are currently on trial. The Compensation Fund is a public entity under the administration of Department of Labour. The Fund provides compensation to workers for injuries and diseases sustained at work.
