A Cape Town woman is on trial for allegedly faking her daughter’s death to cash in a R1.75 million life insurance policy.
|||Cape Town - A 65-year-old woman is on trial facing multiple counts of tax fraud and allegations of faking her daughter’s death to cash in a R1.75 million life insurance policy.
The daughter has served her sentence for her part in the scam.
Nomawhetu Manata made a brief appearance in the Cape Town Regional Court on Thursday on 84 counts of fraud. Most of the charges relate to allegations that she submitted false VAT returns and failed to submit income tax returns while running a bakery from 1995.
But on one count, the State alleges Manata defrauded Old Mutual Life Assurance by pretending that her daughter, Thembeka Manata, now 40, died on December 8, 2003.
The fake death claim, for R1.75m, was allegedly made in December 2003 and January 2004, while Manata knew her daughter was alive, the State said.
Two Green Light life insurance policies had been taken out in March and October 2003 because Manata’s daughter said she had financial difficulties.
In October 2004, the case against mother and daughter was separated and soon afterwards Thembeka Manata pleaded guilty to one count of fraud for faking her death.
In November 2004 the Cape Town Regional Court sentenced Thembeka Manata to five years in jail.
Nomawhetu Manata is also accused of submitting five false VAT returns, for R34 922, on behalf of her business, Masisebenzisane Bakery. The remaining counts relate to her allegedly failing to submit VAT and tax returns between 1994 and 2007.
Nomawhetu Manata has pleaded not guilty. She is out on a warning.
The trial continues on August 14.
jade.otto@inl.co.za
Cape Argus