24 August 2005 CRIMINAL PROSECUTION INITIATED IN 9 MUNICIPAL SERVICES SUBSIDY CASES The City has initiated criminal proceedings against 9 individuals who were found to have misrepresented their details in registering for the Municipal Services Subsidy scheme. The scheme offers qualifying account holders a subsidy on waste collection and sanitation charges on their municipal accounts. It forms part of a basket of subsidies offered by the City to indigent people to alleviate poverty. According to Revenue Department spokesperson Mandy Jean Woods the verification of the details and circumstances of people who have registered for the scheme has recently begun and it was in the course of this that 9 cases were identified where individuals who had registered were found to not have met the criteria for qualification. "All of the cases are external to Council. We have reversed the write-offs associated with these accounts and instated immediate credit control action against these individuals. We have also initiated criminal proceedings against them and are working closely with the Commercial Crime Unit of the SA Police Services in this regard. We cannot give further details about these cases now due to the on-going investigation," she says. The City's Acting CEO for Revenue Roland Hunter says it is unfortunate that there are people who have found opportunity to exploit a scheme that is intended to assist the poorest of the poor in the City. "We are continuing with our verification programme, checking the details of people who have registered and if it is found that there are other people who have misrepresented themselves we will also take immediate action against them, says Hunter. At the launch of the Municipal Services Subsidy programme in May this year, the Executive Mayor cautioned citizens saying, "people who are caught cheating the system will be immediately deregistered from the programme, and they will not be allowed to apply again for 5 years. Citizens are encouraged to report fraudsters to the City's Fraud hotline on 0800 002 587.” For further information, please contact: Mandy Jean Woods Director: Marketing and Communications Department of Revenue City of Johannesburg Phone: 407 7356 Fax: 403 7738 Cell: 082 553 4211 (Please send sms if urgent) Email: mandyw@joburg.org.za