Durban man sentenced for defrauding SARS of millions
A Durban man, who defrauded South African Revenue Service (SARS) to the tune of millions, has begun serving a six-year jail sentence.
Manivisen Govender pleaded guilty to 19 counts of VAT fraud in Durban.
The 47-year-old businessman collected some R3.8 million in tax refunds, after filing incorrect returns for his company between 2010 and 2014.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Natasha Kara says the tax man was hit with a prejudice loss of close to R8.8 million.
"However, an investigation by SARS showed that there was an under-declaration of turnover when his bank statements were compared to the declarations that he made.
"Further investigations revealed that Govender submitted fictitious invoices to SARS in support of his claims.
"He had generated and provided invoices from his brother’s company that were prepared by himself to inflate the VAT paid to suppliers.”
ALSO READ:
