Durban — A woman was sentenced to pay a R300 000 fine and received a suspended four-year imprisonment for defrauding the South African Revenue Service (Sars) of R3.7 million.
KwaZulu-Natal Hawks spokesperson Captain Bonnie Nxumalo said that a former company director was sentenced for fraud.
“The Durban Magistrate’s Court sentenced Nana Perseverance Magubane, 43, on Monday, July 17, 2023, for defrauding the South African Revenue Service (Sars) of more than R3.7 million,” Nxumalo said.
She said that Magubane was arrested by the Durban-based Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in March 2020 after discrepancies were discovered when she submitted invoices to Sars on behalf of a transportation company, Imbenge Trading.
The company owed Sars a huge amount of money because of non-payments on tax.
“When the company was confronted by Sars, fraudulent invoices were submitted, prejudicing the revenue service an actual loss of R3 723 520,” Nxumalo said.
She said that Magubane was charged with six counts of fraud after a case was opened at Point police station.
“During the trial, she pleaded guilty then she was convicted. Magubane was sentenced to a R300 000 fine which will be paid in instalments and a suspended four-year imprisonment,” Nxumalo said.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident in June, the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Nkosingizwile Gama, 38, for fraud in the Ndwedwe Local Municipality.
KZN Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said that between 2015 and 2016, Gama was employed by the Ndwedwe Municipality as payroll administrator. He created ghost employees and used fictitious names to defraud the municipality.
“As a result, Ndwedwe Municipality suffered an actual prejudice of R488 142.60,” Mhlongo said.
He said that during the certification of salary payments, his supervisor noticed suspicious payments and a case of fraud was reported at the Ndwedwe police station. The case docket was allocated to Hawks members for investigation.
“Gama was sentenced to six-year imprisonment of which two years was suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit the same offence during the period of suspension,” Mhlongo said.
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