A man who claimed undue VAT refunds that resulted in revenue service Sars losing R6.6m was on Wednesday sentenced to two 12-year jail terms for VAT fraud.
The Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court, sitting in Palm Ridge, ordered that the two terms imposed on Vusi Dlamini run concurrently.
Dlamini was the sole director of Riverly Engineering (Pty) Ltd, which was registered for VAT purposes. During May 2014 and January 2017, Dlamini submitted fraudulent VAT 201 returns to Sars through the e-filing system.
“Riverly was used by the accused to submit bogus claims for VAT refunds, while the accused was not legally entitled to claim VAT them. These fraudulent activities resulted in Sars losing R6.6m,” Sars and the NPA said in a joint statement.
Dlamini voluntarily handed himself to the Hawks in May last year.
In arguing for a harsh sentence, senior state advocate Mzuhleli Mcosini argued that the offence involved gross dishonesty.
Gauteng local division director of public prosecutions Andrew Chauke commended the “impeccable job” done by Mcosini, the police investigating officer and the Sars criminal investigator for ensuring that Dlamini faced the full might of the law.
Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter said both Sars and the NPA, through collaborative efforts, will make it hard and costly for taxpayers who are bent to on wilfully and intentionally defrauding the fiscus.
TimesLIVE
Man who defrauded Sars of R6.6m in VAT scam to spend 12 years in jail
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A man who claimed undue VAT refunds that resulted in revenue service Sars losing R6.6m was on Wednesday sentenced to two 12-year jail terms for VAT fraud.
The Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court, sitting in Palm Ridge, ordered that the two terms imposed on Vusi Dlamini run concurrently.
Dlamini was the sole director of Riverly Engineering (Pty) Ltd, which was registered for VAT purposes. During May 2014 and January 2017, Dlamini submitted fraudulent VAT 201 returns to Sars through the e-filing system.
“Riverly was used by the accused to submit bogus claims for VAT refunds, while the accused was not legally entitled to claim VAT them. These fraudulent activities resulted in Sars losing R6.6m,” Sars and the NPA said in a joint statement.
Dlamini voluntarily handed himself to the Hawks in May last year.
In arguing for a harsh sentence, senior state advocate Mzuhleli Mcosini argued that the offence involved gross dishonesty.
Gauteng local division director of public prosecutions Andrew Chauke commended the “impeccable job” done by Mcosini, the police investigating officer and the Sars criminal investigator for ensuring that Dlamini faced the full might of the law.
Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter said both Sars and the NPA, through collaborative efforts, will make it hard and costly for taxpayers who are bent to on wilfully and intentionally defrauding the fiscus.
TimesLIVE
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