The Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court has ordered two of the three Bloemfontein-based business owners and their companies convicted of tax fraud, to reimburse the South African Revenue Services (Sars) the monies earned after submitting fraudulent tax returns. The tax evaders defrauded Sars of millions of rands after submitting zero tax returns.
The owners and their companies were convicted of contravention of the Tax Administration Act after successful prosecution during their separate trials.
The accused are Itumeleng Ditsoane (40) and his company Ditsoane Trading and Projects Close Corporation, Tiedie David Miya (48) and his company Acetofon (Pty) Ltd, as well as Thandi Precious Letlabika (33) and her company, FNBrand 828 (Pty) Ltd.
Magistrate Collen Nenkosie, who presided in sentencing on 27 September, ordered Ditsoane’s company to repay R58 886,38 to Sars and fined the director R10 000. The court convicted both Ditsoane and his company of seven counts of contravention of the Tax Administration Act. Ditsoane, the company director, defrauded Sars by submitting zero returns for the period of March 2018 and September 2019.
Phaladi Shuping, spokesperson of the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Ditsoane’s company was ordered to repay Sars outstanding prejudice worth R58 886,38 in three equal instalments of R19 628,76, starting this month until December 2022. He said the company has already paid back R389 000 to Sars.
“Ditsoane misrepresented the trading activities of the company that was in the information and communication technology business, by stating that the company did not trade, while it traded and received R5,6 million. The company should have paid R448 000 to Sars in tax returns,” said Phaladi. He said sentences were wholly suspended for three years on the condition that both Ditsoane and his company are not found guilty of a similar offense during the period of suspension.
Letlabika and her company were sentenced to two years and five years, respectively following findings into fraudulent activities that cost Sars worth R600 000 during the 2019-’20 period. The court ordered Letlabika to repay Sars R190 000 on or before 26 July 2027, and fined her company an additional R200 000 for the crime.
Miya and his company’s tax fraud amounts to R3 million following fraudulent activities committed between 2014 and 2018, as revealed by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team based in Bloemfontein. Sentence proceedings of Miya and his company have been set for 25 October.
