Tax Evasion: Former SARS auditors now arrested for R321m fraud
The Hawks investigation uncovered a tax evasion syndicate of tax payers, runners, SARS current and former employees and bank staff.
The Johannesburg Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team has arrested two former South African Revenue Service (SARS) auditors who are facing tax evasion charges amounting to hundreds of millions of rands.
The former SARS auditors, Corah Madlepollo Kooko, 39, and Noluthando Sipokazi Mbanga, 45, and a runner, Mndolozi Mncube, 44, appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Tuesday, facing charges of tax evasion to the tune of approximately R321 million.
Hawks nab ex-SARS auditors for VAT fraud.
The Hawks in Johannesburg have arrested two former SARS auditors for alleged tax crimes worth some R321 million, the unit announced on Tuesday.
The auditors, Corah Madlepollo Kooko and Noluthando Sipokazi Mbanga, as well as a third suspect, Mlondolozi Mncube - who has been described as a runner - have been charged with tax fraud that led to a loss of over R277 million to SARS.
The Hawks said that SARS investigators had uncovered a syndicate of more than 20 individuals who were involved in extensive VAT fraud and operated over a three-year period. The accused worked in collaboration with small and medium enterprise owners who claimed undue VAT refunds from SARS for their entities.
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Hawks nab 2nd suspect in R130m Cell C tender scam Updated
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The Hawks in Gauteng have arrested a second person in connection with a Cell C tender scam worth an estimated R130 million.
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It is alleged that Pillay and his co-accused, Ismail Adanjee Mohamed, 44-years-old, were both Information Technology (IT) executives at one of the well-known South African mobile network service providers.
They allegedly colluded with a director of a contracted entity responsible for IT and network service provider, falsely inflated invoices which resulted in an actual loss of over R130 million from 2012 to 2019, she said.
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The funding scheme for Lorna Jane chain is allegedly a scam. Image: Moneyweb
Former financial advisor Thomas Stringfellow has been arrested for not appearing in court relating to charges that he misappropriated millions of rands in client funds.
Stringfellow was first arrested on July 11, 2019, when he presented himself at the Honeydew police station. He was then released on bail of R20 000 and appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crime Court on October 14, 2020. His case was scheduled to go to trial the following month.
His latest arrest was confirmed by SAPS Captain Troy Laas.
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Stringfellow, the CEO of the Stringfellow Group, was facing charges relating to the disappearance of millions of rands relating to the funding of Lorna Jane South Africa, a clothing chain he ran together with his wife Leigh.