Johannesburg - The UIF has revealed that it recovered just R500 000 from the R11m that was stolen by bookkeeper Lindelani Gumede from the Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) Fund.
The UIF has also since welcomed the 135 year sentence that was handed to the bookkeeper by the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge.
Gumede is likely to spend just 20 years behind bars as his sentences are expected to run concurrently.
UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping said he hoped the sentence would send a strong message that the long arm of the law will catch up with thieves.
He further added that the day is coming for those who unlawfully helped themselves to funds meant for distressed workers during the devastating lockdown period.
Gumede was found guilty on 32 counts of theft for stealing over R11m by creating and submitting applications for employees on the Covid-19 Ters system, on behalf of their employers, in the form of Comma-Separated Values (CSV) files.
Ters was aimed at helping employers by paying a limited portion of their employees’ salaries during a time when businesses were suffering and economic activity was experiencing a slowdown as many businesses were not permitted to operate.
Funds from Ters were applied for by employers on behalf of their employees and were to be paid out to the employers who would then pay their employees.
Gumede used the details of employees of companies for which he did bookkeeping.
Gumede is expected to spend up to 20 years in jail as some of his sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
IOL