Sixteen suspects accused of swindling Covid-19 TERS funds have been arrested.
A spokesperson for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Trevor Hatting says the suspects stole an amount of R2.2 million and were arrested in Gauteng and the North West Province on Sunday
He says during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, three sole directors of different entities applied for Ters funds from the UIF on behalf of 47, 133 and 141 people respectively.
Hatting says these people were seemingly not employed by the entities and an amount of R2.2 million was paid into the companies' bank accounts where it was channeled to certain individuals for personal enrichment.
The latest arrest is one of the biggest operations thus far since the launch of operation "Follow the money".
UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping says those who have helped themselves to funds earmarked for workers must not have any peace and must know that the long arm of the law will catch up with them.
To date, 10 people have been convicted and sentenced to direct imprisonment while a total of 46 people were arrested.
