Family accused of defrauding SAPS of R88m appear in court

JOHANNESBURG - A family who allegedly defrauded the South African Police Service (SAPS) appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates Court in connection with a multimillion rand furniture tender.

Matthew Pillay, his wife Lisa and his mother, Devi Sigamoney, are accused of defrauding SAPS of R88 million.

Pillay’s cousin and three of their employees have also been charged.

The seven people and three of their companies face 330 counts of fraud and money laundering.

Sixty-nine-year-old Devi Sigamoney is already serving a 10-year jail term for benefitting from South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) old age grants while a company that she was a director of scored millions in SAPS tenders.

But it was the son, Matthew Pillay, who benefited from the dodgy contracts, and he now stands alongside his mother as an accused.

She arrived on Thursday at the Pretoria Magistrates Court, chained at her ankles, accompanied by armed Department of Correctional Services officials.

Her son, daughter-in-law and nephew have approached the court for bail, with prosecutors not opposing.

Despite strong attempts by their lawyers, the bail hearings could not be heard as they had a lengthy roll to address.

The accused will return to court on Friday.