This, after they made their first appearance yesterday following their arrest on Tuesday. 

The suspects, aged between 36 and 61, were arrested in connection with fraudulent claims made at the Kimberley Master of the High Court office back in August 2015. 

The Hawks spokesperson, Nomthandazo Mnisi, says the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in Pretoria received a complaint regarding the fraudulent claims and according to some of the interest-bearing cards, there was money paid to the suspects which appeared to be claimed later by the guardians of the beneficiaries. 

She says the suspects were denied bail yesterday for further investigations and are set to appear again today.

OFM News previously reported that the main suspect is a former employee at the Kimberley Master of the High Court and he is accused of assisting four other co-accused to fraudulently claim the funds and that the department suffered a loss totalling over R850 000.

Three of the suspects are unemployed, one employed, and the main suspect is the Master of the High Court former employee.

Mnisi confirmed that the five appears after an assistant at the Master of the High Court in Kimberley was granted R4 000 bail last week following his arrest.

Method Nkongani Gqetywa (49) appeared in the Kimberley Magistrate's Court last week Friday after his arrest on Thursday.

It is alleged that he extorted an amount of about R15 000 as a bribe to assist two women who had approached the court to claim a deceased's estate.

The case against Gqetywa was postponed to August 29 for further investigations.

OFM News