ALLEGED FUGITIVE RE-ARRESTED FOR FRAUD
By MP Staff Reporter
NELSPRUIT –On May 03, 2021, Palesa Maje (25) was remanded in custody by the Nelspruit Commercial Crime Court. This follows her failure to appear before the court on several occasions after she was released on bail for fraud on her initial arrest.
Maje was re-arrested by members of the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation in Mpumalanga on Sunday at Honeydew informal settlement in Gauteng Province for Fraud.
It is alleged that around 2017 Maje and her boyfriend Bongani Sibuyi decided to start an entrepreneurship program at Bushbuckridge municipality. They invited unemployed youth to be part of the program. The interested youth applied and they were interviewed and more than 350 qualifying learners were told to pay an administration fee of R250 each to the bank account of the unregistered company belonging to the two accused. The learners were promised that they will receive an R3000 monthly stipend.
After payments the program never materialized, the two accused disappeared and left learners stranded. The victims tried all means to locate the suspects with no success. The matter was reported to the Hawks and investigation ensued which led to the arrest of the two accused and were later released on bail.
Maje absconded court and a warrant of arrest was issued twice against her until her recent arrest.
She will join her co-accused back in court on 07 May 2021.
