Mpumalanga man sentenced to five years for UIF fraud and corruption - IOL

Kwena Mohlala, 42, was sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment after being convicted of corruption and fraud involving fraudulent UIF applications.

A Gauteng man who allegedly tried to recruit a Department of Employment and Labour official into a fraudulent UIF claims scheme has been sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment following a Hawks undercover operation.

Kwena Mohlala, 42, was convicted on six counts of corruption and fraud in the Piet Retief Regional Court in Mpumalanga on Friday.

Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, said the case dated back to February 2022, when an official at the Department of Employment and Labour in Piet Retief reported an alleged attempt to draw him into an unlawful scheme.

“The official reported that he had received a call from Mohlala, who allegedly introduced himself as being from Gauteng and attempted to recruit the official into an unlawful scheme involving the processing of fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) applications,” Nkosi said.

Mohlala allegedly offered the official a share of the proceeds once the fraudulent claims were paid.

The complaint prompted an investigation by the Secunda Serious Corruption Investigation unit.

The Hawks subsequently staged an undercover operation on February 18, 2022, using the Labour Department official as an agent.

“On February 18, 2022, the Hawks conducted an undercover operation in which Mohlala was arrested shortly after handing over five fraudulent UIF claim forms to the official, who was acting as an agent during the operation,” Nkosi said.

Mohlala was subsequently granted bail and appeared in the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on four occasions.

However, he later failed to attend a subsequent court appearance, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.

The warrant was later executed and bail was successfully opposed.

Mohlala appeared before the Piet Retief Regional Court on Friday and was convicted on all six counts after entering into a plea and sentence agreement.

He was sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment on the corruption count.

For the five fraud counts, he received 12 months’ imprisonment on each count.

“The sentences on Counts 2 to 6 will run concurrently with the sentence imposed on Count 1, resulting in an effective sentence of five years’ direct imprisonment,” Nkosi said.

The court also declared Mohlala unfit to possess a firearm.

Head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, welcomed the sentence, saying corruption and fraud targeting government systems undermined public confidence and deprived legitimate beneficiaries of essential services.

“The Hawks remain committed to investigating individuals who attempt to abuse government systems for personal gain and ensuring that those found on the wrong side of the law are brought before the courts,” Gerber said.