Former Sars official arrested for R5m VAT fraud

Durban – A former South African Revenue Service (Sars) official is expected to appear at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of VAT fraud of more than R5m.

Sars said in a statement that the former official, who is also a chartered accountant, was arrested on Wednesday at her place of work in Centurion.

Sars spokesperson Sandile Memela said the fraud happened over a period of nine years.

"The female suspect is a director of a closed corporation that provides consultancy and bookkeeping services.

"She is alleged to have submitted false VAT invoices and bank statements to Sars between 2007 and 2015 to substantiate VAT refund claims amounting to R5.1m."

Memela said the investigation commenced after Sars’s risk engines identified the woman for an audit due to the unusual refund trend that emerged over the years.

"Upon requesting supporting documentation, Sars’s investigators established through third party verification that fictional invoices had been submitted to Sars.

"They also found that bank statements that were submitted to substantiate refund claims were not authentic."

Memela said the suspect was a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and the South African Institute of Certified Bookkeepers.