New fraud charge for ‘dead’ man’s wife

7/23/2010 12:40:02 PM

By Kathryn Parkes

There was a surprising twist in the year- long case against former ANC branch chairman Zolani Xego on Thursday, when his wife, and co-accused, was hauled out of the courtroom and arrested on a fresh charge of fraud.

Vuyelwa Hlekiso-Xego, who was in court waiting to appear alongside her husband and his ex-wife, Lulama Vimbani, was taken aback when the State prosecutor called out her name and had police escort her from the courtroom gallery.

Outside she was formally arrested before joining her husband in the dock, where a fresh charge of fraud was put to her involving a claim from Santam Insurance of close to R700 000.

The State alleges that on January 31, Hlekiso-Xego claimed R600 600 from Santam for a car she had reported stolen.

The court papers also state that she claimed for a pair of sunglasses and two leather jackets, which were purportedly inside the car at the time of the alleged theft.

The case was postponed to September 16 for further investigation.

Later, Hlekiso-Xego, Xego and Vimbani again had their original fraud case postponed to allow analysts more time to compare handwriting samples the accused were ordered to submit to the court in May.

The three face multiple charges of fraud after Xego, an ex-ANC Nokhanime Thomas branch chairperson, allegedly tried to claim almost R3.6 million from two insurance companies.

Xego previously claimed it was Vimbani who attempted to cash in one of his life insurance policies.

A Dispatch investigation last year revealed that in 2007, a claim was made on Xego’s Sanlam insurance policy worth R100 000 after he was officially recorded as “deceased” by the Department of Home Affairs.

It is also alleged that Hlekiso-Xego attempted to cash in two of her husband’s Discovery Life insurance policies, totalling R3.5 million.

The handwriting samples will be used to determine the signatories of the claim documents.

In court on Thursday, Xego’s attorney Siyanda Makwabe argued against the postponement, saying the case had already been on the roll for “far too long”.

Makwabe said his client had battled to find employment since his suspension from the ANC.

However, prosecutor advocate Wayne Jaftha retorted that it was the accused themselves who had delayed the case.

“The accused delayed the State’s case by five months when they refused to submit samples of their handwriting,” he said.

“First they refused to co-operate, then they appealed the court’s decision … their defence has even failed to appear in court,” Jaftha added.

Magistrate Similo Jaftha said; “The delay of the case is not the fault of the State but that of the defence,” he said. “I am not putting a timeframe to this case.”

Jaftha postponed the trial to September 16.