TimesLive reports that a 64-year-old company owner and director who allegedly defrauded the UIF's Covid-19 Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) is due to appear in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Friday.

The Blackheath-based company was affected by the hard lockdown in March 2020, and its 15 employees did not have income for about a month. They returned to work when the lockdown was relaxed to less stringent levels. “The company director allegedly applied for Covid-19 Ters covering even the period when the employees had returned to work. The company received an undue payment of R205,695.45,” Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Philani Nkwalase reported. Nkwalase said only a few employees received the claimed funds for the period of the business closure, while others were not paid. The matter was reported to the authorities by the Department of Employment & Labour for criminal investigation, which led to arrest of the company director. The money was later paid back to the department, but criminal charges went ahead.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive

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