The Special Investigating Unit SIU, backed by South African Police Service SAPS specialised units, conducted coordinated search-and-seizure raids in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on Thursday 11 December in one of the largest anti-corruption operations of the year.
The operation is a part of a larger investigation into the alleged theft of R161 million in the COVID-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme TERS of the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
SIUs TERS fraud raidTERS was established in 2020 to provide financial support to workers and employers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators allege that a high-profile syndicate exploited vulnerabilities in the system to file false claims and divert state money to their own accounts instead of workers. This diversion showed patterns of money laundering, they add.
