A 43-year-old suspect is set to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on 26 February for failure to register a company for VAT, causing a loss of more than R1 million to SARS between 2020 and 2021.

The suspect was issued a court summons on Monday (8/1), said Hawks spokesperson Christopher Singo. “SARS initiated a preliminary investigation that revealed the alleged tax evasion by the suspect.”

Following this discovery, the matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in Bloemfontein, resulting in the summons being served.

Last year, OFM News reported a North West businessman was in hot water with the law after he was charged with 93 counts of fraud and 29 counts of contravening the Tax Administration Act.

It is alleged that Jacobus Johannes Opperman (59) and the corporate body he represents, Gadabout, committed tax fraud totalling R19 million between 2012 and 2019. Opperman was arrested by the Hawks‘ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit.

In another fraud case, a former Free State acting municipal manager from Koffiefontein-based Letsemeng Municipality was arrested alongside the director of a company that won a tender, on Monday (11/12) for fraud, corruption, and infringement of the Municipal Financial Management Act, says Free State Hawks spokesperson Fikiswa Matoti.

The arrests emanate from a bulk water upgrade tender worth R38 million, advertised on 15 May 2022.

OFM Nuus/Heidre Malgas dg