EASTERN CAPE – Luyanda Brian Vava (34), the company director and his business entity appeared before East London Magistrate’s court on 29 April 2024 for allegations of fraud, forgery and uttering. Vava is the sole director of Widelink Technologies Pty Ltd company. He was arrested by the East London Serious Corruption Investigation of the Hawks in partnership with National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on 29 April 2024.
In 2020 during lockdown, the employers were reportedly encouraged to continue paying their workers and later claim from Covid-19 Temporary Employer Relief Scheme (TERS). It is alleged that he intentionally and unlawfully lodged a claim from Unemployed Insurance Fund (UIF) on behalf of his employees through his company. The employees are reported to have denied receiving payment from the employer which led to the investigation by Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
The matter was later referred to the Hawks for a thorough probe which revealed that there was material misrepresentation claim made to defraud the UIF. This led to the actual prejudice of over R300 000, suffered in a claim of his employees.
Vava was ultimately arrested by the investigating team of the Hawks on 29 April 2024. He made his first court appearance before East London Magistrate’s court on the same day and was released on R1000 bail. The matter was then remanded to 31 May 2024 for further investigation.
Content retrieved from: https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=52905.