A SARS signage board The former SARS employee was sentenced in the East London Regional Court. File Picture: Timothy Bernard / African News Agency (ANA)
A former consultant for the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has been sentenced on charges of fraud in the East London Regional Court in the Eastern Cape.
Sibulele April, 39, was stationed at the East London SARS branch as a consultant.
She was found guilty of forgery, fraud, uttering, and theft.
The provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks), Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said the fraudulent tax returns were submitted between the period of 2014 and 2016.
The tax returns were conducted on behalf of Zukiswa Mentile.
During its internal auditing processes as well as tax return assessments, SARS picked up on the red flags.
This was when the matter was referred to the Hawks for probing.
“The investigation revealed that Mentile’s tax returns indeed were falsely submitted during the said period and she was charged but later the charges were withdrawn,” Mhlakuvana said.
“The investigation further exposed that SARS was indeed prejudiced a total amount of R172,000.”
On July 26, 2018, the Hawks arrested April and she appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court on the same day and was released on a warning.
April was sentenced to pay a fine of R5,000 or face five years imprisonment suspended for a period of five years on condition she is not convicted of forgery, fraud, uttering, or theft during the period of suspension.
She was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
April opted for the option to pay the R5,000 fine.
Head of the Hawks in the Eastern Cape, Major General Obed Ngwenya commended the investigating team for a sterling job that led to the conviction and sentencing of April.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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