Overview
- The three accused appeared Monday in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court and received bail of R300,000 each for the husband and wife and R3,000 for the brother‑in‑law.
- They handed themselves to the Hawks on Sunday after a joint probe into alleged fraudulent claims worth R26,943,793 under the Covid‑19 Temporary Employee Relief Scheme.
- Investigators say the construction company at the center of the case claimed benefits for more than 700 ghost or former workers through the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
- The Asset Forfeiture Unit secured preservation orders that froze linked bank accounts and preserved five vehicles and three properties in Pretoria, Middelburg, and White River.
- The case was postponed to 20 July for further investigation, with the Hawks, UIF, the Special Investigating Unit, and prosecutors continuing the inquiry.