Limpopo Hawks arrests two men for tax-related fraud
It is alleged the suspects acted as SARS officials and cheated a businesswoman out of hundreds of thousands of Rands.
LIMPOPO – To men arrested on charges related to tax fraud are expected to make their first court appearance in the Vuwani Magistrate’s Court today.
The suspects, aged 39 and 40, were arrested at a local restaurant in Louis Trichardt on Tuesday (November 9) by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation members.
Capt Matimba Maluleke, the spokesperson for the Hawks, said in October 2018 the duo approached the compliant, a businesswoman in the area and introduced themselves as officials from the South African Revenue Service (SARS). “It is further alleged that the men told the complainant that she owned SARS a large sum of money as she did not submit her tax returns on time and that her vehicle was not registered under her business. They then demanded a sum of R400 000 to be paid into a bank account for them to assist her with the late submission of the returns and not to impound her vehicle.”
Maluleke added that at the time the complianant transferred R250 000 into the said account. “Only after she received correspondence from SARS indicating that her returns were still outstanding did she report the matter to the Hawks.”
The matter was under investigation in consultation with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) until the warrants of arrest were issued against them and they were arrested.
Maluleke confirmed Hawks preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are not working for SARS.
