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SARS hits back at Gordhan’s ‘aspersions’

Picture credit: Trevor Samson.
Picture credit: Trevor Samson.

Tension between the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan mounted on Thursday‚ with the tax agency issuing a statement in which it noted “with dismay” what it said was the unjustified accusation that its leadership lacked accountability.

Gordhan made the comment earlier this week in his reply to a parliamentary question by DA finance spokesman David Maynier.

SARS informed Gordhan for the purpose of his reply to Maynier that it did not have a specialised investigating unit similar to the covert “rogue” unit which has caused such a controversy over the past year.

The existence of this unit when Gordhan was the SARS commissioner led to his being hounded by the Hawks.

However‚ following an expose by the Sunday Times in November‚ subsequent to its submission of the information to the finance ministry‚ SARS admitted that it had established a secret unit to investigate corrupt dealings between members of staff and individuals in the tobacco industry.

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