By Thapelo Molefe
A 62-year-old Eastern Cape school principal has been summoned to court by the Hawks on allegations of fraud and perjury linked to a Road Accident Fund (RAF) claim worth about R2.9 million.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) confirmed that the summons was served on Thursday by the Mthatha based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit. The suspect is expected to appear before the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 25 March.
In a statement released on Friday, the Hawks said the principal faces charges linked to allegedly contradictory claims submitted after a motor vehicle accident in 2017.
“A 62 year-old school principal has been served with summons by the Mthatha based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation of the Hawks… facing allegations of fraud and perjury,” the unit said.
The case stems from a complaint lodged by the RAF after officials detected irregularities in compensation claims related to a crash that reportedly occurred on 2 July 2017 on the N2 near the Colosa Administrative Area in Dutywa.
According to investigators, the accident involved a Volkswagen Polo allegedly driven by the principal and a Toyota Verso driven by another motorist.
Police officers who attended the scene compiled an official accident report indicating that the principal had been driving the Polo and had sustained injuries during the collision. Medical documentation reportedly supported this version.
Investigators said the principal initially instructed a law firm in December 2017 to submit a claim to the RAF stating she had been the driver in the accident.
“The claim sought compensation amounting to approximately R2.9 million,” the Hawks said.
However, authorities allege the principal later terminated the mandate with the first legal representatives and appointed another law firm to lodge a second claim with the RAF.
“In this second submission, the culprit allegedly advanced a contradictory narrative… indicating that she had been a passenger at the time of the accident,” the Hawks said.
The second claim reportedly sought more than R1.4 million.
The investigation also found that the suspect submitted a separate claim to Old Mutual iWYZE vehicle insurance for damage to the Volkswagen Polo, declaring that she had been the driver.
“The mutually inconsistent declarations made across different institutional platforms and under oath raised serious concerns regarding the veracity of the representations made by the accused,” the Hawks said.
The RAF subsequently rejected the claim and referred the matter to the Hawks for investigation.
According to investigators, evidence gathered suggests the suspect may have deliberately misrepresented facts in an attempt to obtain financial benefit.
“The suspect deliberately misrepresented facts in an attempt to secure undue financial benefit from both the Road Accident Fund and the vehicle insurer,” the Hawks said.
Authorities estimate the RAF could have suffered potential losses of about R2.9 million had the claim succeeded.
INSIDE EDUCATION
