A former employee of the SA Revenue Service (Sars) has received a 12-year sentence for fraudulent VAT refunds amounting to R6m.
Bilal Shaik was found guilty of fraud, forgery and uttering — the use of a forged or false document with the intent to defraud — and money laundering, for enabling VAT funds for three companies.
The refunds, however, ended up in Shaik's own bank account.
He was given a 12-year custodial sentence.
Alongside Shaik, Kyle Nadasen representing Kyle Nadasen CC, was convicted of fraud, forgery and uttering and given a six-year sentence. The sentence was suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted under section 4 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act during the period of suspension.
The third accused, Miloni Chetty, a sole member of ILONIM General Traders, was acquitted on all charges.
Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter welcomed the sentences.
“Sars will not tolerate any criminal conduct by its employees. This is not negotiable, as taxpayers and traders should be able to trust the organisation and its employees to act with integrity.
“Sars is committed to making it hard and costly for anyone involved in criminal malfeasance on tax matters without fear, favour or prejudice. Sars takes umbrage at some among our ranks who engage in criminality. We will root them out.
“Such criminal conduct tarnishes the reputation of a vital institution of our democracy that relies on voluntary compliance by taxpayers and traders to fulfil its mandate of collecting revenue that can be used for the benefit of all South Africans, especially the poor and vulnerable.”
TimesLIVE
Sars employee sentenced for R6m fraudulent VAT refunds
Image: Freddy Mavunda
A former employee of the SA Revenue Service (Sars) has received a 12-year sentence for fraudulent VAT refunds amounting to R6m.
Bilal Shaik was found guilty of fraud, forgery and uttering — the use of a forged or false document with the intent to defraud — and money laundering, for enabling VAT funds for three companies.
The refunds, however, ended up in Shaik's own bank account.
He was given a 12-year custodial sentence.
Alongside Shaik, Kyle Nadasen representing Kyle Nadasen CC, was convicted of fraud, forgery and uttering and given a six-year sentence. The sentence was suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted under section 4 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act during the period of suspension.
The third accused, Miloni Chetty, a sole member of ILONIM General Traders, was acquitted on all charges.
Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter welcomed the sentences.
“Sars will not tolerate any criminal conduct by its employees. This is not negotiable, as taxpayers and traders should be able to trust the organisation and its employees to act with integrity.
“Sars is committed to making it hard and costly for anyone involved in criminal malfeasance on tax matters without fear, favour or prejudice. Sars takes umbrage at some among our ranks who engage in criminality. We will root them out.
“Such criminal conduct tarnishes the reputation of a vital institution of our democracy that relies on voluntary compliance by taxpayers and traders to fulfil its mandate of collecting revenue that can be used for the benefit of all South Africans, especially the poor and vulnerable.”
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
Tax revenue collections declined by 7.8% last year as Covid-19 hit hard
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