This article first appeared in the 28 June 2022 edition of the Cape Argus newspaper.
Cape Town - A former SA Revenue Service (Sars) employee from Table View appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court earlier this week for tax fraud.
Maureen Killian, 65, has been charged with 25 counts of fraud and tax evasion for providing false information to Sars in order to claim tax rebates.
It is alleged that from 2014 to 2018, Killian defrauded Sars by providing false information with regards to her income tax, effectively committing tax evasion. As a result, Killian allegedly managed to swindle Sars out of over R330 000 for the 5-year period.
It is further alleged that for the years 2016 to 2018, while working as a tax consultant for a security company, she requested tax refunds based on further false information.
She had allegedly requested money to be paid back to the security company, claiming the money was incorrectly declared and used as incentives, when in reality the money was tax deductible income which she received.
Killian has also been charged with an alternative count of theft for allegedly stealing more than R700 000 from the security company.
The matter was postponed to July 14 for the outcome of a means test following her request for Legal Aid representation. Killian is apparently able to afford a private attorney and therefore may not qualify for Legal Aid.
Killian had previously been referred for a psychiatric evaluation in order to determine whether she would be fit to stand trial.
In the report submitted to the court by her previous attorney, it showed that Killian underwent neurosurgery in 2009. It further stated that she had complained about poor memory and concentration difficulties.
Upon evaluation of her cognitive state, the report showed she had decreased efficiency of her ability to work with figures and does not remember names.
The final outcome of the report, however, indicated that Killian was indeed fit to stand trial but that she may be at a disadvantage during court proceedings as result of stress.