Trio and company charged with fraud and tax evasion worth R13.9 million

Three people, aged between 30 and 45, and a company have been charged with fraud and tax evasion worth millions of rand.

The trio were handcuffed by the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) working in collaboration with the South African Revenue Services (Sars) on Wednesday.

Fraud and tax evasion

NPA Investigating Directorate spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka told The Citizen the suspects are expected to appear before the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court (SCCU), for a formal bail application on Thursday,16 March 2023.

“The NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID) working in collaboration with Sars, has charged three individuals and a company, for fraud and tax evasion, to the value of R13.9 million.

Fraudulent returns

The trio is alleged to have submitted tax returns, in which they misrepresented the incomes earned during the 2015-2021 assessment years. They also failed to pay Value added tax collected from clients to Sars,” Seboka said.

Seboka added that one of the accused faces several other charges of fraud.

ALSO READ: Cops nab fraudster at OR Tambo after five years on the run

Covid-19 Ters fraud

Meanwhile, the director of a car rental company in the Western Cape appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on charges of fraud, after it was alleged that he swindled over R2,8 million out of the Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS).

According to police spokesperson, Zinzi Hani, the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team swooped in on the 34-year-old director on 8 March 2023, at this place of work.

Hani said the suspect had allegedly submitted applications to the Department of Employment and Labour claiming that he was acting on behalf of his staff at Car Rental Africa. He handed in claims for the Covid-19 TERS.

“Through an intensive investigation, it was revealed that the individuals who were making these claims were actually not employed by Car Rental Africa.

“We found that in fact, these were just individuals known to the director or individuals who rented motor vehicles from Car Rental Africa. Some of them were unemployed or working somewhere else,” Hani said.

ALSO READ: Car rental boss charged for swindling R2.8m from Covid-19 TERS