The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) employee in Bellville, Phelisa Lande (45) appeared in the Bellville Magistrate court on Wednesday, 10 August 2022 on a charge of fraud and was subsequently released on an R1000-00 bail.
This comes after she was arrested on Monday, 08 August 2022 by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Investigation team in Bellville for falsifying her qualifications.
In October 2021 there was a post advertised for a Security official in the Hawks offices in Bellville. When she applied for the said position, the accused allegedly submitted a fraudulent matric certificate, which was one of the requirements for the post.
As a result, the accused was appointed as a Security official in Bellville, Western Cape office where she occupied the post on 01 April 2022. Upon noticing the suspicious certificate, The Hawks’ vetted the qualifications with the Department of Education.
It was during this process that the allegation of fraud was discovered and further investigation revealed that the accused submitted the same qualification in her previous employment where she was employed as a security officer.
The matter has been remanded to 06 September 2022 for legal representation.