Nelspruit magistrate’s court have granted bail to two of the three men who were caught planning to hack the Sassa system and steal money intended for social grants.
Brian Mfundo Masina, 28, and Moses Khumalo, 36 were granted R10,000 bail on Wednesday while the third accomplice, 40-year-old Mathole Sydwel Masilela was denied bail
The three were arrested during an intelligence-driven operation organized by a multidisciplinary team led by the Hawks’ serious corruption investigation unit in Mbombela on July 24.
Capt Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said “this followed a tip-off that they had approached a Sassa official and enticed her to assist them in hacking into the Sassa system to register bogus beneficiaries.”
According to Sekgotodi, Masilela was denied bail after the court heard that he was currently on R30,000 bail for committing similar offences in East London.
During the operation, an electronic device which was intended to be used to extract information, a laptop, a scanner, Sassa cards and the suspects’ vehicle were confiscated.
If their plan worked out, they would have had access to Sassa beneficiaries’ accounts leaving no trace behind.
The trio are charged with corruption, fraud, conspiracy to commit an offence and contravention of the Electronic Communications Act.
The case was postponed to October 22.
