Ters fraud accused on the run since 2022 arrested near Botswana border

A man accused of receiving money from people who allegedly defrauded the Covid-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (Ters) appeared in the Mmabatho magistrate’s court on Friday to face fraud charges. 

Tokelo Winston Frederick Modiboa, 59, who had been on the run since November 2022, was arrested by border management authority members on Thursday at the Ramatlabama border post with Botswana.

“The accused joins 20 other accused implicated in the Covid-19 Ters fraudulent claims, which occurred between 2020 and 2021,” Hawks spokesperson Col Tinyiko Mathebula said. 

After the government imposed a national lockdown from March 2020 to curb the spread of Covid-19, some employers were unable to pay their employees as their businesses were closed. The Ters funds were made available to employers to pay their employees.

Mathebula said investigations by the Hawks revealed Modiboa allegedly received payments from three of the accused — Kegomoditswe Parisian Moselane, 36, Irving Ikgopoleng Mongale, 46, and Khotjwe Goodwin Motsei, 50 — who allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for their alleged employees. 

“Moselane allegedly submitted fraudulent claims of R271,000 for 47 individuals who have never worked for her company. Moselane allegedly transferred money into the bank accounts of seven other accused, including Modiboa who received R27,000.” 

Modiboa also allegedly received R34,000 from Mongale, who had claimed R970,000 from the department for 150 individuals who were never employees at his company. Thirteen other accused also allegedly received money from Mongale. They are out on bail. 

Modiboa also allegedly received R89,500 from Motsei who fraudulently claimed more than R1m for 133 individuals whom he alleged to be his employees.   

Modiboa was remanded and will appear in court on Wednesday.

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