The Directorate for Priority crime Investigation has since 9 February 2021, following Public Protector’s report on own initiative investigation which was launched on 9 July 2018 into allegations of illegal diversion of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) social assistance grants allegedly by SASSA employees from beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
The allegations purported that around June 2018, when SASSA was issuing the new SASSA/ South African Post Office bank cards, some pensioners and other SASSA grant beneficiaries never received their pensions and grants. It was believed that their monies were illegally diverted to other accounts.
In June 2019, a total of 20 787 fraud cases had been registered within the SAPO and of these, 12 432 social grant beneficiaries were reimbursed for the losses they suffered to the total value of more than R21 million.
Following SASSA recalling payments in July 2019 because of suspected fraud in that the banking details did not match grant beneficiary details. A new modus operandi was identified where a beneficiary’s social grant bank account was changed or diverted into a new bank account without the knowledge of the beneficiary. The funds would then be withdrawn from the new account by an unknown person/s.
The Hawks are investigating these cases and November 2019, police made 61 arrests of which six were SAPO employees. Of the reported cases, eighteen (18) were referred to the Hawks for further investigation. A total of 80 suspects were arrested in those cases. Cases against six accused were withdrawn pending further investigation whilst the others are on trial in various courts around the country. The investigation is continuing.
