Ireland South African woman sentenced over €96,000 social welfare fraud
Dominique Mokoena, a 41-year-old South African woman now living in Fermoy, Co Cork, was sentenced at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to three years, suspended, for social welfare fraud. Between 2013 and 2019 she applied for payments under a false identity, using a false passport, and the fraud is put at about €96,000. She had come to Ireland from South Africa about twenty years earlier on a tourist visa under her real identity, returned in 2006, and claimed asylum under a false name, saying she was from Zimbabwe. Payments were stopped, and she could apply again once her South African passport was established as genuine. The latest development, reported on 19 June 2023, is that she was sentenced.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced19 Jun
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A South African woman carried out about €96,000 of social welfare fraud in Ireland using a false passport.
- The payments included one-parent family payment, rent supplement and child benefit.
- Where
- The 41-year-old woman now lives in Clondulane, Fermoy, County Cork.
- When
- She applied for social welfare between 2013 and 2019 under a false identity.
- Cause
- She obtained a false passport when one was required for her application, and the authorities accepted it.
- Charges
- Gardaí presented sample charges totalling almost €100,000 over a four-year period, while the fraud is reported as about €96,000.
- Sentence
- She received a three-year suspended sentence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for the social welfare fraud.
- Other details
- She came to Ireland from South Africa about twenty years earlier on a three-month tourist visa under her real identity.
- She returned to Ireland in 2006 and claimed asylum under a false name, saying she was from Zimbabwe.
- Her defence barrister argued she would have been entitled to some payments because she had Irish-born children.
- Payments were stopped, and she could apply again once her South African passport was established as genuine.
11 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA South African woman carried out €96,000 of social welfare fraud in Ireland using a fake passport. (gript.ie)
- whatThe payments included one-parent family, rent supplement and child benefit payments. (gript.ie)
- whereThe 41-year-old woman now lives in Clondulane, Fermoy, County Cork. (gript.ie)
- whenShe applied for social welfare between 2013 and 2019 under a false identity. (gript.ie)
- causeShe obtained a false passport when one was required for her application, and the authorities accepted it. (gript.ie)
- chargeThe sample charges presented by gardaí amounted to almost €100,000 over a four-year period. (gript.ie)
- sentenceShe received a three-year suspended sentence for the social welfare fraud at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. (gript.ie)
- otherShe came to Ireland from South Africa twenty years earlier on a three-month tourist visa using her real identity. (gript.ie)
- otherShe returned to Ireland in 2006 and claimed asylum under a false name, saying she was from Zimbabwe. (gript.ie)
- otherHer defence barrister argued she would have been entitled to some payments because she had Irish-born children. (gript.ie)
- otherPayments were stopped, and she was able to apply again once her South African passport was established as genuine. (gript.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 19 Jun2023South African found defrauding welfare system could continue to apply for payments - Gript
Reports the three-year suspended sentence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, the defence argument, and that she now lives in Fermoy, Co Cork.
convicted, Dominique Mokoena, 41, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Dominique Mokoena