The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team worked tirelessly over the weekend tracing the outstanding trio suspects allegedly linked to a syndicate that defrauded several insurance companies, a combined loss exceeding R280 000.00.
The broker aged (57), linked to three of the four insurance companies along with her daughter (38) and a former police reservist (42) were arrested in Port Elizabeth and Welkom on Saturday, 30 January 2021.
Their arrests follow the court appearance of their five alleged accomplices at the Port Elizabeth Magistrates court on Friday facing multiple charges of fraud, theft and defeating the ends of justice.
The trio is expected to have their first court appearance on Monday and are expected to again appear along with the five others in the same court on Tuesday, 2 February 2021.
The investigation by the Hawks team revealed that the broker allegedly master minded the insurance fraud after signing-up seven insurance policies with different companies over the period between March 2014 and February 2015. When the waiting period had lapsed, the beneficiaries on those policies allegedly tendered in fraudulent death claims ranging from R10 000 to R50 000.
The doctor who has since passed away after a short illness, examined all the alleged deceased persons whilst the owner of the funeral parlour and employee allegedly provided the burial service needed on all fraudulent death claims, where other syndicate members alternated as beneficiaries and deceased persons.
