By OBAKENG MAJE
A man (62) who was charged with 18 counts of fraud, 223 counts of forgery and uttering, including 223 counts of Contravention of Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011, found guilty by the Kimberley Specialised Commercial Crime Court on 6 February 2024. During 2013 and 2016, Davida Marie De Wet unlawfully, falsely and with intent to defraud submitted forged VAT201 returns for Tax purposes. The Hawks spokesperson in Northern Cape, Lieutenant Col Tebogo Thebe said, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) suffered an actual loss of R985 136.72 as a result.
Thebe further said, the Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, successfully investigated the matter and brought the matter before court.
“De Wet was sentenced to five years imprisonment for counts 1 to 18, which is fraud. He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for forgery and uttering, which amount from count 19 to 223 and five years was suspended on condition that, he is not convicted of the same offense within the period of suspension.
“The accused will therefore serve 5 years in prison. De Wet was further declared unfit to possess a firearm,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Northern Cape, Major General Stephen Mabuela, appreciated the investigating and prosecutorial team for the conviction.
The Guardian 