Alleged fraudster released on R15,000 bail

A 49-year-old man, facing charges of fraud and contravening of the Tax Administration Act, was granted R15,000 bail by the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday.

Meshack Mpapadima Makofane appeared in court on Tuesday after handing himself in to the Hawks on the same day. He joins his co-accused, Elias Oman Magheje, who was arrested in February.

Magheje, 51, was released on R30,000 bail.

Makofane handed himself over at the Hawks office in Gauteng, accompanied by his legal representative, according to the police statement.

The pair have been charged by the Johannesburg based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team.

ALSO READ: Matric fraud: Durban man arrested for forging medical school admission points

The charges

The charges date back to between November 2017 and January 2018.

Makofane’s Cape Town-based construction company allegedly submitted fraudulent value added tax (VAT) claim invoices to the South African Revenue Service (Sars).

Mafokane and Magheje submitted the invoices through e-filing for their company, Machembe Construction and Projects CC.

R9.9 million was then transferred into their company’s account, according to the police.

It was after the transfer that Sars noticed the fraudulent documents and conducted an internal analysis investigation.

“The matter was reported to the Hawks for investigation which resulted in a warrant of arrest issued against the alleged perpetrators,” read the statement.

Both of the accused are expected to appear in court on 29 June 2022 for docket disclosure.

NOW READ: Father and son arrested for R99 debit order syndicate