The Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court released 71-year-old Masike Andrew Masike on warning, after he appeared for allegedly defrauding the South Africa Revenue Service (Sars).
Masike was charged alongside his company, Ipokeng Properties and Estate Agents CC, and the two appeared in court on Friday.
In a joint statement, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in North West, said Masike and his company face charges of fraud and contravention of Tax Administration Act.
“The accused was served with summons to appear before court by the Hawks' serious commercial crime investigation on August 6, 2024, following an investigation into alleged misrepresentation in value added tax (VAT) returns submitted to South African Revenue Service, amounting to over R4.6 million,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula, North West spokesperson for the Hawks.
Intense investigations revealed that between 2019 and 2021, Masike submitted tax returns to Sars on behalf of his company, Ipokeng Properties and Estate Agents CC.
“Sars reportedly paid the accused a cumulative amount of R4.6 million based on his submissions. Reports indicate that the accused's company was dormant during the periods when he submitted tax returns. Furthermore, he allegedly failed to submit source documents when requested by Sars,” said Mathebula.
During the brief court appearance on Friday, Masike was released on warning.
His matter was postponed to September 16, 2024.
Meanwhile, North West provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Patrick Mbotho, and the Director of Public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari have commended the prosecution team and the investigator “for working tirelessly to ensure that the accused is brought to book”.
IOL