Durban - A POLICE officer is expected to appear in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court today for being in possession of 39 Sassa cards and R2350 cash.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said Phoenix police were investigating a fraud case, the possession of suspected stolen property and contravention of the Special Assistance Act.
Mbele said police had received information on a suspect who was in possession of SA Social Security Agency cards in the Phoenix area.
“The suspect’s vehicle was spotted on the Phoenix Highway and Hannaford Drive. The vehicle was stopped and a 38-year-old policewoman stationed at Inanda detectives was arrested,” she said.
Sassa welcomed the officer’s arrest.
Spokesperson Sandy Godlwana, said almost every month people were found in possession of multiple Sassa cards and large sums of money, and were arrested.
She said it was evident that a collaborative approach by Sassa, law enforcement agencies and the National Prosecuting Agency was yielding desirable results.
“We also commend the role played by members of the public who often alert us about suspicious people in possession of Sassa cards,” said Godlwana.
Regional executive manager Themba Matlou said Sassa remained relentless in their pursuit of a corruption-free social grant system. The arrest of the police official showed that corruption would not be tolerated, even when committed by people entrusted with upholding the rule of law.
“We encourage the public to report similar cases they may be aware of to the nearest police station. They can also report fraud matters on our Fraud Line at 080 070 1701. We will continue to intensify our fight against fraud and corruption,” said Matlou.
Godlwana said the challenges they encountered had decreased drastically since the introduction of staggered payments, separating old-age, disability and child grants.
Daily News