Durban - EFF member of Parliament Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi has called on Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola and Absa bank to account for the “fraudulent transfer” of R150 000 of a late police officer’s pension funds.
According to Mkhaliphi, who has taken up the matter with the government, the money was due to Precious Sokhela from Amaoti, north of Durban, daughter of the dead police officer, but was fraudulently transferred to a certain person who banks with Absa.
It is alleged that the “fraudulent transaction” took place in November last year when the government Guardian’s Fund processed the benefit for Sokhela.
Mkhaliphi said she was approached by Sokhela for assistance.
She said, according to Sokhela’s version, it became clear that the corruption was taking place within the Guardian’s Fund which is the entity under the Justice Department, which was why she wanted the minister to intervene and account for the corrupt activities taking place there.
“Absa bank must also be taken to task for failing to stop the transaction after the victim had reported the matter and even provided the bank with a police case number and the affidavit which the bank had requested in order to flag the account,” Mkhaliphi said.
Sokhela told the Daily News that her father, Cyril Bonginkosi Sokhela, died in 2017 and she had approached the Guardian’s Fund to claim the pension last year after turning 18.
She said in November last year someone from the fund called and told her he was processing her claim and asked her to hold for her bank employee who was going to assist her to verify her account.
Sokhela said the bank employee identified herself and asked her to confirm her account and after doing so, she asked her to open her cellphone app to see if the money had appeared.
She said the money indeed appeared but the “bank employee” asked her to press okay in several messages that were appearing on her phone, but the following day she realised she was no longer able to open her app and was no longer getting messages.
“I went to the bank to check what was going on and was informed that I transferred my money to someone banking with Absa using my cellphone app and they also told me that my app was suspended after someone tried to use my PIN five times.
“The bank told me there was nothing it could do.”
She said she immediately rushed to the Absa branch in Phoenix to report the transaction and asked the bank to freeze the account. The bank told her to quickly open a case of fraud and submit it together with her affidavit denying she transferred the funds willingly. She said that despite meeting Absa requirements, the bank did not act and told her it could not assist her since she was not its client.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed police were investigating the matter.
The Guardian’s Fund official, Muzi Zwane, who was assigned to investigate the matter, confirmed to the paper that the Department of Justice was investigating the matter internally.
Absa spokesperson Khulani Qoma said the bank has thoroughly investigated the matter and can confirm that its internal controls were not compromised.
Daily News