Three individuals who are suspected of scamming elderly, illiterate, and ill-former mineworkers from Limpopo made an appearance at the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Palm Ridge on Thursday.
The accused are facing 14 counts of fraud after they defrauded their victims of R537 006.
According to the state, the accused took advantage of unsuspecting victims because they were uneducated.
The mining company that they worked for during apartheid offered to pay them due to the illnesses they contracted as a result of their employment.
Payment of compensation
The state claims that the lovers, accused one and two Herbert Mokwena and Lerato Ireen Letoala, conspired to make false claims, generate bank accounts and pin codes, and take money illegally from the claimants’ accounts.
Accused number three, a cab driver, assisted with gathering supporting documentation and located and drove the victims.
“Each of the three accused is involved in the certification process, payment of compensation, and submission,” said the state.
“The accused helped fill out documents that were later found to have incorrect information or unlawful alterations.”
The accused, working with people who were known to the state, allegedly committed fraud between January 2015 and December 31, 2018, at or near Johannesburg, by providing false information and acting dishonestly in order to deceive the Compensation Commission for Occupational Diseases.
Out on bail
“The accused induced the claimants to accept false pretences as true and correct and to approve payments.
“They further altered, with intent to deceive, any certificate of fitness,” the state added.
The matter has since been postponed, and the accused are out on bail.
The state prosecutor, known as advocate Morten, told the court that the police are yet to visit Limpopo to summon witnesses who stay in Polokwane to testify in the case.
“A witness who was supposed to take the stand now submitted a doctor’s note because they had foot surgery, and they are booked off until July 30.”
