The case of two former employees accused of defrauding the Department of Labour’s (DoL) Compensation Fund (CF) was postponed in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court today (September 21).
The trial of Maxwell Ramaphosa (36) and Samuel Mfeleng (36) both from Soshanguve in Pretoria was postponed to November 22, following a prior engagement by Prosecutor Margaret Thulare.
The former public servants have pleaded not guilty to defrauding the Department of Labour R2,1 million. The duo faces 15 counts of fraud and 26 counts of money laundering. The accused are out on a bail of R3000.
The duo is allegedly accused of working in collaboration with Jurry Sehunoe, a physiotherapist from Rustenburg in North West.
Sehunoe pleaded guilty in the matter at the Pretoria Speacialised Crime Court last year. The physio has since been ordered by the Court to repay the Department of Labour the R2,1 million that was swindled. He is currently awaiting sentencing in the matter.
Ramaphosa and Mfeleng’s matter was transferred, in a separation of trial from Pretoria Speacialised Crime Court to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court after Sehunoe pleaded guilty to defrauding the Department of Labour.
The accused are alleged to have siphoned money from the DoL’s Compensation Fund and channelled it into Sehunoe’s bank accounts. They allegedly processed fictitious claims made by Sehunoe and later shared the laundered money.
The Compensation Fund is a public entity under the ambit of the Department of Labour. The Fund provides cushion for workers injured during work or diseases sustained or contracted as such.
The trial of two ‘alleged fraudsters’ accused of defrauding Department of Labour’s CF postponed to November
