Cape Town – A company director in the Western Cape has appeared in the Bredasdorp Magistrate’s Court on fraud charges after he allegedly misappropriated Temporary Employer Relief Scheme (TERS) funds.
According to the provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Zinzi Hani, Andre Rudolph Appelgryn, 64, made his first appearance in court on Friday.
She said he was arrested earlier in the day by members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Cape Town.
Hani said the team conducted a search and seizure on Thursday at Appelgryn’s candle company offices in Bredasdorp and confiscated documents regarding TERS funds.
“It is alleged that during the period between May and June 2020, Appelgryn claimed TERS funds from the Department of Labour on behalf of 44 employees who were working for him prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and used the monies claimed to service his payroll.
“Subsequently, an amount of R345 970, 20 was paid into his business account,” she said.
Hani said this red flag resulted in a joint investigation between the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the police after they realised the TERS monies were claimed unlawfully as the workers were working throughout the lockdown period and receiving their full salaries.
The matter was immediately reported to the Hawks for further investigation, resulting in Appelgryn’s arrest.
The court has granted Appelgryn R5 000 bail and his case has been remanded to October 25.
The investigation into the matter continues.
IOL