Sassa pensioners allegedly assisted ‘corrupt’ Chetty family to defraud SAPS

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has revoked the grants of two pensioners accused of fronting for a multimillion-rand corruption scheme that was allegedly headed by the Chetty family, who are said to have looted the South African Police Service (SAPS) through fraudulent contracts. 

According to a highly placed source close to the investigation, who asked to remain anonymous, a series of Mail & Guardian stories about the Chetty family’s alleged corrupt dealings within the SAPS alerted Sassa that pensioners receiving old-age grants were directors of companies that fronted for the alleged fraud. 

Salamina Khoza and Sarathamoney Devi Sigamoney — aged 68 and 67, respectively — allegedly defrauded Sassa by claiming, separately, that they were poor pensioners and needed grants, while they were the sole directors of companies that received lucrative contracts on behalf of Kishene Chetty, aged 29. 

Both pensioners face up to 15 years in prison should they be convicted of defrauding Sassa. 

Internal National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) documents place Chetty and his 65-year-old father, Krishna Chetty, at the head of an alleged fraud syndicate that uses almost 30 front companies — allegedly fronted by pensioners and the Chetty family’s employees — to receive almost R150 million in contracts from the SAPS.