Suspects on the wanted list of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks) in the Free State have been arrested for alleged multi-million fraud and is expected to appear in the Ladybrand Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Seven of the nine suspects sought were apprehended by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team on Thursday, June 6, and Friday, June 7.
The provincial spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli said the seven — three men and four women — are current and former employees of the South African Revenue Service (Sars) who were arrested in Limpopo, Gauteng, Free State, and the Eastern Cape.
The group face charges of fraud, money laundering, contravening the Tax Administration Act, contravening the Customs and Excise Act, and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca).
“It is alleged that the employees were stationed at Ficksburg Bridge, Maseru Bridge, and Vanrooyenshek Bridge where they facilitated 333 transactions amounting to R653,500,455.28. All identified transactions were imported consignments/cargo (textile) in bond (Removal in Bond) from the Durban port of entry to be exported from the Free State Border Post (Maseru Bridge)” Mohobeleli said.
“The Hawks, working together with the Anti-corruption Investigation unit of Sars, presented a watertight case before the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).”
Sars said five of the employees went through the disciplinary process and were found guilty and subsequently dismissed.
Two employees resigned, pending the disciplinary process. One employee who went through the disciplinary process was issued a final written warning and the other two of the nine are currently undergoing the disciplinary process.
The spokesperson for the NPA, Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the arrests were welcomed.
“The NPA welcomes the arrests of the accused and it envisages that these arrests will send a clear message to other perpetrators of corruption and fraud-related offences,” Senokoatsane said.
The Hawks said the arrest of the two outstanding suspects is imminent.