E Cape principal accused of trying to defraud RAF of R2.9m

An Eastern Cape school principal who allegedly attempted to defraud the Road Accident Fund (RAF) of R2.9m will soon have her day in court. The 62-year-old was served with a summons by the Hawks’ Mthatha Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit on Friday. She is due to make her first appearance in the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on March 25 facing fraud and perjury charges.

“The collision involved a Volkswagen Polo, allegedly driven by the suspect, and a Toyota Verso driven by another individual,” Hawks spokesperson warrant officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said. “Police members who responded to the accident scene compiled an official accident report which recorded that the suspect was the driver of the Volkswagen Polo at the time of the incident and that she had sustained bodily injuries during the collision. “Subsequent medical documentation reportedly corroborated this version of events.” The principal allegedly hired a law firm on December 12 2017 to file a claim against RAF, saying she was the driver.

“The claim sought compensation amounting to about R2.9m,” Mhlakuvana said. “However, the suspect later allegedly terminated the mandate with the legal representatives and appointed another law company to pursue a separate claim with the RAF. In this second submission, the suspect allegedly advanced a contradictory narrative, submitted documentation and a version that indicated that she had been a passenger at the time of the accident. “This alternative claim was lodged for an amount of more than R1.4m.” She also claimed damages from Old Mutual iWYZE for the Volkswagen Polo’s collision damage, stating she was the driver, which led to the insurer paying out the claim into her account.