A 46-year-old businessman from the Free State was convicted and sentenced for tax evasion in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.
Monnapule Ernest Sebeela of Lekone Trading was convicted in terms if the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011.
The provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks), Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli said the tax evasion took place between 2020 and 2021.
Mohobeleli said the matter was initially investigated by the South African Revenue Services (Sars).
Sebeela was found guilty of failing to register his company Lekone Trading for Value Added Tax (VAT).
“His actions led to Sars losing over R280,000. The investigation was handed over to the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crimes Investigation team based in Bloemfontein which led to Sebeela appearing in court and subsequently sentenced,” Mohobeleli said.
He was sentenced to a fine.
In a separate incident in the Western Cape, a finance clerk was sentenced to eight years in prison for using fraudulent invoices to trick Clicks Group into paying his company R4 million.
Themba Maneli, 28, was sentenced in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Maneli, his girlfriend, Nanky Tozama Kanase, her company, Business Connectivity Solutions (Pty) Ltd, and his company, Maneli Enterprises (Pty) Ltd, were charged with six counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering.
Maneli created fake purchase orders that led to the company paying more than R4 million to his company.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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