Ugandan woman slapped with 30 years imprisonment for defrauding mine worker over R900k pension fund

A 31-year-old woman who is a foreign national, was slapped with 30 years in jail by the Welkom Regional Court for defrauding a mine employee his pension fund worth R955 300, under the pretense that it will multiply into millions of rands from July 2020.

The accused woman from Uganda, Sophia Najjia was found guilty as charged for unfair business practise, defeating the ends of justice, fraud and illegal immigration.

According to Lejweleputswa spokesperson captain Stephen Thakeng, the victim, aged 54-year-old, is also a foreign national who was scammed by the accused.

“Hewas residing at one of the mine premises in Welkom when he met this lady and they fell in love to each other.

“This girlfriend introduced the mine employee to her sister who was introduced as a traditional healer,” says Thakeng.

“They visited the sister’s residence who claimed she wanted to show him something in Tana Street Doorn Welkom.

He was told to buy a miracle box that is worth R2 000. After two days the mine employee gave this traditional healer the money as she requested and wanted to show him how the miracle box works.

They both asked him to put a coin inside and close this miracle box. Then the traditional healer prayed and opened the box and there was a lot of money inside. Then he was told that the belongs to him,” he detailed.

It is alleged that the woman encouraged him to retire from work so he can make more money from the miracle box.

Thakeng says that during August 2020, the miner retired and in September 2020 he received some of the retirement money to an amount of R233 000 and he gave them R232 000 to invest in the miracle box.

“Later in October 2020, the former mine worker his provident fund money worth R689 000 and he gave to his girlfriend sister to put it inside the miracle box.

“On Wednesday the 4 of November 2020 he gave them the rest of the remaining money in his bank account that was R12 300 and he was told to wait for instructions.

“He was told to go back to his original home in our neighboring countries to obtain the soil at his yard and come back and put it with the money so that ancestors can multiply the money into millions of rands,” Thakeng said.

“He was given R1000 when told them he did not have money to go home. Then after some days the former mine employee tried several times to contact them – his girl friend and her sister and even went to Tana Street in Doorn Welkom but they were nowhere to be found,” Thakeng added.

Thakeng further explained that the victim became suspicious, and went to Welkom Police Station to open a case.

“A case of fraud was registered and assigned to Detective Constable Neo Mothekhe of Provincial Commercial Crime Investigations.

Through his dedication and working around the clock the foreign national woman was traced and arrested on the 23 January 2021,” detailed Thakeng.

The acting provincial commissioner in the province, major general Solly Lesia applauded the investigator for his hard work which led to the arrest of the accused, who was ultimately sentenced heavily.

He expressed with deep concern that people lose their hard earned pension funds to the fraudsters, he warned that employers must caution their employees when they consider early retirement.

“People are loosing their hard earned pension and it’s a concern,” he stressed.

“Mine companies and education department and other government departments when an employee suddenly wants to resign his or her relatives must be informed about this move of retiring,” he cautioned.