Bail hearing in Sassa fraud and theft case postponed
The Lenasia magistrate's court on Wednesday postponed the bail application hearing in a South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) fraud case to June 10.
'The postponement is to allow the court to hear additional evidence it has to consider in making a decision on the applications submitted by the 11 accused,' National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
Shumani Khwerana and 10 co-accused face multiple charges including cybercrime, fraud and theft.
'The state alleges the accused orchestrated a sophisticated scheme involving the creation of fake Sassa profiles wherein more than R4m was deposited and these profiles were used to withdraw large sums of money from various Sassa paypoints.'
During the hearing, the state submitted affidavits from the investigating officer and Mazimela Kubeka, a senior internal investigator at Sassa, with information on how the accused were implicated in the alleged offences.
Mjonondwane said the court requested additional supporting evidence from the state.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
9 hours ago
- The South African
Joslin Smith court case: What happened to state witness?
Western Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus has imposed a life sentence on convicted traffickers of Joslin Smith, including her mother, Kelly Smith. But what about the state witness, Lourentia Lombaard? The woman – a former accused who turned State 204 witness – has stated under oath that Kelly allegedly sold her daughter to a sangoma for R20 000. Kelly, her boyfriend Jacquin 'Boeta' Appollis, and pal Steveno van Rhyn received concurrent sentences for trafficking and kidnapping. During his sentencing hearing, Western Cape High Court Judge Erasmus revealed that the trafficking trial's fourth former accused, turned state witness, Lourentia Lombaard, would hear her fate in another court date. Lombaard – a State 204 witness – previously stated under oath that Joslin's mother, Kelly Smith, allegedly sold her to a sangoma for R20 000. Charges were withdrawn against Lombaard, who has been granted provisional indemnity from criminal prosecution. However, her credibility was questioned when she admitted to lying to police in a recorded statement after Joslin Smith's disappearance. Her version of events from her March 2024 statement differs from her confession to police in October, when she agreed to turn state witness. According to the Criminal Procedure Act, a Section 204 witness can receive indemnity from criminal charges, provided that their testimony and evidence help incriminate the accused. In the case of Joslin Smith, the National Prosecuting Authority offered Lourentia Lombaard witness protection in exchange for her testimony against Kelly Smith, Boeta Appollis, and Steveno van Rhyn. However, if the court finds that the witness has not testified truthfully, they may face prosecution for perjury and related charges. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Pensioner loses over R8000 of her Sassa grant
QUESTIONS have been raised about the recent programme launched by Postbank and the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) to transition from old cards to a new card system. Also read: No double grant payments for June, Sassa confirms The mounting concerns come after an 84-year-old pensioner has been left without her social grant for three consecutive months after her pension card was allegedly cloned during the transition to the new Postbank card system. Laurel Prangley from Montclair has had a total of R8400 fraudulently withdrawn from her account at various locations, including a recent withdrawal of R2700 in Richards Bay without her knowledge or authorisation. Despite repeated attempts by her family to report the issue to Sassa and Postbank, the matter remains unresolved. Prangley's grant has not been reinstated. Her daughter Rene Gleisner said the problem was discovered in February when her husband attempted to withdraw the pension, and received a slip indicating insufficient funds. 'I called Sassa immediately to report the matter and asked them to block the card, but they failed to do so. In March, the money was withdrawn again, and then again in April,' she said. In February this year, Sassa and Postbank announced the transition from the gold card to a new black card system. She believes the fraud may be linked to the card transition process. 'It's suspicious that this started while I was changing my mother's Sassa gold card to the new black Postbank card,' she said. The card was allegedly cloned in Chatsworth The family had visited Chatsworth shopping centre, where two employees believed to be Sassa officials were assisting beneficiaries with the card switchover. 'I followed all the procedures and was told her next grant payment would be deposited into the new account. That never happened. I reported the card again last week to the fraud helpline, and they assured me that it has been blocked,' she added. The ordeal has taken a toll on the elderly woman's health and dignity. 'She has a disability and relies on her grant to purchase medication. We've been passed from pillar to post without any resolution,' said her daughter. Authorities have yet to confirm how the card was cloned, but in February Sassa issued warnings about ongoing scams targeting pensioners receiving payments at the post office. Prangley's family is calling on Sassa to act swiftly to secure her account and reimburse the stolen funds. They say the financial strain of covering her medication and personal expenses is becoming unsustainable. Sassa issues advice to the affected family KZN spokesperson for Sassa, Sandy Godlwana, said the customer care will follow up and investigate. 'They will advise the client accordingly how she can be assisted. The gold card though is a Postbank card,' she said. Godlwana said the client needs to: Report immediately, go to her bank Make an affidavit at a police station Visit Postbank to report the incident in detail. Attempts to get a comment from Postbank were unsuccessful. For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Postbank responds to card cloning scam
POSTBANK has issued an urgent advisory to all social grant beneficiaries following an increase in reports of card cloning fraud. The bank is calling on affected individuals to immediately report any suspicious activity or suspected card cloning to its fraud department. This comes after an 84-year-old pensioner from Montclair lost R8400 of her grant in a suspected card cloning scam. The SUN published a story about Laurel Prangley's financial loss last week. To read more click here. Also read: Help spread the warmth with Pick n Pay's Soup for South Africa campaign Postbank has urged grant beneficiaries to report suspected fraud and unauthorised transactions directly to its fraud department, which is responsible for investigating and resolving such matters. 'Postbank has implemented a multi-layered fraud prevention framework aligned with banking industry standards and legal requirements under the Banks Act and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act. This includes card chip security, internal controls, and ongoing customer due diligence. 'The creation of robust customer awareness is also amongst the initiatives we are undertaking, given that some bank fraud incidents are perpetrated by criminals through scams that take advantage of customers,' read the statement. Prangley's daughter Rene Gleisner told The SUN that the issue was discovered in February when her husband attempted to withdraw the pension from an ATM but received a slip indicating insufficient funds. She believes the fraud may be linked to the card transition process. 'It's suspicious that this started while I was changing my mother's Sassa gold card to the new black Postbank card,' she said. The family had visited Chatsworth shopping centre early this year, where two employees believed to be Sassa officials were assisting beneficiaries with the card switchover. Also read: Pressure mounts for surveillance cameras in crime hotspot areas However, Postbank stated that it has not yet received a formal complaint from either the pensioner or her daughter. 'No formal report has been submitted to the Postbank fraud department regarding Prangley's card. As such, we cannot confirm any deactivation until the appropriate process has been followed. We have contacted the client and advised her to complete necessary documentation in line with our internal processes to enable necessary investigations,' said Postbank. Postbank said once an investigation is initiated they: Take various remedial steps including blocking the compromised card, Issue a replacement card, and safeguarding account credentials. 'These steps are guided by internal fraud protocols and customer protection measures,' Postbank said in a statement. In February, Sassa and Postbank announced the transition from the gold card to a new black card system. Postbank could not comment on whether Prangle's ID or card details had been cloned or compromised during the card migration process. 'This possibility cannot be confirmed without a formal report and investigation. However, the card migration process adheres to stringent encryption and security protocols, including Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and chip-based security features, to mitigate cloning risks,' Postbank said. What steps are being taken to ensure the pensioner receives her next grant payment securely? Once a report is received, Postbank can implement remedial actions such as account or card blocking, issue a new card, and ensure secure disbursement of future grants. Is it possible to issue a new card with a different account number immediately? Once an investigation is initiated, Postbank takes various remedial steps including blocking the compromised card, issuing a replacement card, and safeguarding account credentials. What is the expected timeline for resolving such issues? Clients typically receive an acknowledgement and reference number within 48 hours of submitting a valid complaint. The overall resolution timeframe depends on the complexity and available evidence, but regular updates are provided throughout the process. Does the client receive updates or reference numbers during the investigation? Once a case is formally lodged, Postbank will issue a reference number and provide ongoing updates to the client throughout the investigation, in line with our customer communication protocols and conduct standards. For any suspected fraudulent activities, the public are urged to: Report to Postbank's fraud team via fraud@ Or call fraud hotline on 0800 53 54 55. Postbank advised clients who are not satisfied with the outcome of their investigation to escalate the matter to the National Financial Ombudsman. For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
