The Vaalbank Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga has remanded 56-year-old Daniel Maluleka after he appeared on Friday, facing charges of fraud.
Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, said Maluleka was arrested after it was established he had defrauded the SA Revenue Service (SARS).
“This (arrest) follows after the investigation was carried forward by the Hawks Middleburg-based serious commercial crime investigation, whereby it was revealed that the accused, Daniel Maluleka was registered with the South African Revenue Service as a value added tax (VAT) vendor,” said Sekgotodi.
He was further registered with the SARS e-filing services.
“Maluleka colluded with two other suspects who are still to be arrested. They submitted value added tax returns for the different VAT reference numbers to SARS and information was supplied in the returns, resulting in refund being generated to the amount of R293,958,” said Sekgotodi.
The Hawks said the tax refund generated was deposited into Maluleka’s Capitec bank account.
“SARS suffered actual prejudice in the sum of R293,958. The investigation was finalised, and a J50 warrant was authorised and executed on Friday,” said Sekgotodi.
Maluleka was then arrested, charged, and appeared in court.
“He was remanded in custody. The case was postponed to Monday, September 30 2024, for bail application, pending the arrest of the other two suspects.”
Last month, IOL reported that 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.
Masike was charged alongside his company, Ipokeng Properties and Estate Agents CC, and the two appeared in court in August.
In a joint statement, 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 VAT returns submitted to South African Revenue Service, amounting to over R4.6 million,” Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula, North West spokesperson for the Hawks said at the time.
IOL