31 charged for child grant fraud
2007-03-22
THIRTY-ONE local residents appeared in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of social grant fraud.
This is part of a countrywide investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to stamp out fraud and corruption.
Social grant fraud costs the country millions of rands every year, when undeserving people claim these benefits.
Most of the claims which have been falsely submitted, have been child care grants.
To qualify for these grants, applicants must not earn more than R1320 per month.
During Tuesday’s court hearings, some of the accused who had claimed these benefits were earning in excess of R9000.
Others, however, were earning salaries which only slightly exceeded the cut-off point.
Most of the accused pleaded guilty to the charges against them and were given a suspended sentence after agreeing to pay back the money they had defrauded the State of, in instalments.
The few who pleaded not guilty will stand trial on 23 April.
The proceedings were heard in front of magistrate Marietjie de Villiers, while SIU prosecutor Annette de Lange represented the State.
To date, 130 000 fraudsters have been removed from the national social grant system and about 2500 have so far been charged.
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