Job Aid Scheme: 285 “Ghost Employees” Loot Rs 31.9 Million!

The Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) has revealed a large-scale fraud involving the “Prime à L’Emploi” (Job Aid Scheme), which was designed to give employers a Rs 15,000 allowance for hiring young Mauritians, women, and people with disabilities.

As part of an investigation, the FCC discovered that eight fake companies, all belonging to one person, were involved. These companies applied for the bonus from the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) between April 2023 and February 2024, claiming to have hired 285 employees who didn’t actually exist.

Job Aid Plan

Even though the MRA followed its usual checks, the money was paid out after the applications were deemed eligible for the job aid plan.

So far, this person – his name has not been disclosed – has received Rs 31.9 million since 2023. Around Rs 14 million of that money was transferred to various bank accounts under the names of the fake employees.

The FCC questioned 15 people whose names appeared on the list of employees. They all said they were never paid by the MRA and never worked for these companies.

The investigation also found that the money was moved through a cryptocurrency platform, Binance.com, invested in property overseas, and used to buy luxury cars.

Source: Le Mauricien