Tebogo Msimanga|
The Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge sentenced 47-year-old Harisu Bukari to 12 years imprisonment for multiple counts of fraud, forgery, and uttering.
Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said Bukari and his company, Mark Two Electronics were charged with 19 counts of fraud, two of forgery and uttering that he submitted fraudulent VAT (Value Added Tax) 201 returns and fictitious tax invoices to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) claiming undue VAT refunds, worth over R2,7 million during the tax periods January 2012 to September 2015. His company was not legally entitled to claim VAT refunds from SARS.
Mjondwane said the NPA applauds Advocate Mzuhleli Mcosini and investigators from SARS’ Criminal Investigations unit for ensuring that the accused faces the full might of the law for abusing the trust that SARS placed on him as a VAT Vendor and “hopes that the sentence imposed will serve to deter citizens from avoiding tax liability through criminal conduct”.
