Gauteng couple accused of R53 million in tax fraud granted bail
The couple, accused of tax fraud, handed themselves over to the Palm Ridge police accompanied by their legal representatives on Wednesday.
A Gauteng couple from Ekhurhuleni, accused of South African Revenue Services (SARS) tax fraud worth more than R53 million, was granted bail on Wednesday 26 August.
The Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court granted the couple R100 000 bail each.
COUPLE ALLEGEDLY COMMITS SARS FRAUD
It is alleged that the divorced couple, Christo Francois Pienaar, 64, and Elsie Elizabeth Pienaar, 62, allegedly created and submitted false tax invoices to SARS during June 2013 and March 2014.
The accused handed themselves over to the Palm Ridge police accompanied by their legal representatives on Wednesday.
According to Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu, various items such as documents relating to an alleged second-hand gold purchase from Malibongwe Metals & Minerals and Hennox8321 CC, are already in the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Investigation custody.
The case has been postponed to 6 November 2020 pending further investigation.
HOME AFFAIRS OFFICIAL ARRESTED FOR CORRUPTION IN MPUMALANGA
The Hawks, in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs and others, arrested a 38-year-old Home Affairs official for alleged fraud in Witbank on Wednesday.
The Department of Home Affairs allegedly noticed irregularities on the issuing of birth certificates to foreign nationals during an internal inspection in January this year.
“An internal investigation was instituted and the suspect promised the Home Affairs investigator money in order to discontinue the investigation against him. The matter was reported to the Serious Corruption Investigation for further investigation,” the Hawks said in a statement.
A multi-disciplinary operation was conducted and the suspect was arrested immediately after handing over R13 000 gratification to the Home Affairs investigator. During the operation the team managed to seize identity documents, a sizable amount of cash and other items.
The suspect was due to appear in the eMalahleni Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for contravening the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Activities Act 12 of 2004.
RAMAPHOSA SAYS IT’S NOT HIS JOB TO INVESTIGATE
While answering oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday 27 August, Ramaphosa said it’s not his job to arrest or investigate those responsible for fraud and corruption.
The president said his job is to strengthen the agencies that are meant to arrest and investigate those involved in corruption.
“What I need to say is this: It is not the president’s duty to arrest people – the day that happens, you must run for the hills! When that happens, and a president starts putting people in jail, you have no democracy,” he said.
“My task is to strengthen the institutions that investigate crime. Without these institutions, all you have is a crazy president, running around and arresting people themselves. South Africa does not want that” he added.