Pretoria – The 69-year-old boss of a company that won tenders from the police worth millions of rand has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for fraudulently claiming an older person’s grant from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).
Sarathamoney Devi Sigamoney was the sole director of a company awarded tenders worth 88 million rand by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to supply office furniture when she successfully applied for a SASSA pension grant.
An older person’s grant, which used to be called the old age pension, is paid to people who are 60 years or older.
To qualify for such a grant a South African citizen must not earn more than R86 280 per year if you are single or R172 560 if married.
Allegations were that on 13 April 2017, Sigamoney applied for an old age pension grant with SASSA, and attached a supporting affidavit wherein she stated that she had not been employed for 20 years.
Five days later, on 18 April, SASSA provided Sigamoney with a letter of approval. The accused signed an acknowledgment that she had received the letter.
Sigamoney is alleged to have received grant money from SASSA amounting to about R123 000, from July 2017 to July 2022.
Although Sigamoney is listed as the director of KJP Traders Pty, her son Matthew Pillay was alleged to have conducted business with the state using the same company as early as 2012, preceding her application to SASSA.
Furthermore, the company cashed in about R88 million from SAPS contracts, of which the last payment was in 2022.
When the matter came to light the matter was probed and brought to court resulting in Sigamoney’s conviction.
After charges were registered against Sigamoney, she continued to receive the grant for a further 16 months.
On Tuesday, (4 March 2025), the Pretoria North Regional Court sentenced Sigamoney to a cumulative 10 years of direct imprisonment on five charges, including perjury, fraud, and theft.
In his sentencing remarks, Magistrate Pieter Nel highlighted the need to convey a strong message to potential perpetrators, on the seriousness of such offences.
The court previously granted the Asset Forfeiture Unit a confiscation order against Sigamoney, stipulating that R138 593 with interest calculated at 11.25% per annum from the date of the order be paid back to SASSA.
“Sigamoney has applied for leave to appeal and the court postponed the matter to 12 March 2025 for arguments,” revealed Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson Henry Mamothame.
