Pretoria - A 30-year-old suspect appeared at the East London Magistrate’s Court on Friday after allegedly defrauding the Road Accident Fund (RAF) of R500 000.
Siyandisa Nomagwala allegedly submitted a claim to the tune of R1.6 million to RAF through his attorney, claiming that he was involved in a motor vehicle accident in Ngcobo where he sustained injuries.
“The claimant was reportedly on his way home to Libode from Kuruman with his family in a new car bought by his brother who died in that accident,” said Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela.
Mgolodela said the claim was processed by RAF, with an initial partial payment of R690 000 from which the attorney claimed his share which led to the suspect receiving R500 000.
“The claimant was paid as a third party. It is reported that before RAF could make the final payment, they realised that the claimant had written two contradicting statements that led them to conduct an investigation which revealed that the claimant was not entitled to compensation as he is alleged to have been the driver in the accident,” Mgolodela said.
Nomagwala was arrested by the East London-based Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team at his workplace in Kuruman, Northern Cape on August 24 and then transported to East London.
He was released on R2000 bail.
The matter was postponed to September 30.
IOL