Devi Sigamoney approaches high court to appeal 10-year sentence over SASSA fraud
Sigamoney was found guilty of collecting older person’s grantsompany which scored millions in tenders from the police department for five years, while being a director of a c.
A parked SASSA vehicle. Picture: Barbara Maregele/GroundUp
JOHANNESBURG - A 69-year-old woman has approached the Pretoria North Magistrates Court to appeal her 10-year prison sentence after she fraudulently benefitted from SASSA grants.
Last week, Devi Sigamoney was sentenced in the Pretoria North Magistrates Court after being convicted of perjury, fraud and theft.
Sigamoney was found guilty of collecting older persons' grants for five years, while being a director of a company which scored millions in tenders from the police department.
A visibly emotional and shaken Sigamoney was led into the dock from the holding cells, with shackles on her ankles.
KJP traders, the company where the 69-year-old is listed as a director, scored R88 million in tenders to provide the South African Police Service (SAPS) with furniture in 2022.
But she continued to collect SASSA grant payouts.
On Wednesday, the Pretoria North Magistrates Court was meant to hear her application for leave to appeal her effective 10-year sentence but her lawyers were not ready to proceed.
The Independent Directorate’s Henry Mamothame said they were ready to oppose Sigamoney’s application.
"We agree with the magistrate that when you pass sentence on such matters it should be for the purpose of sending a stern warning to wanna-be perpetrators that the courts are taking such matters very serious."
While her leave to appeal application has been postponed to next week, Sigamoney has paid back more than R138,000 of the grant money she received.