In a dramatic turn of events, in South Africa a group of eight individuals, including a husband and wife, in a massive R200 million fraud case involving the South African Revenue Service (Sars)were sentenced by South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.
The event took place after the wife gave away husband’s illegal business dealings. According to IOL, Rebecca Dube decided to snitch husband after she found out about his @ffair with Moliehi Constance Ramone
Rebecca also uncovered that her husband Jeremiah Musiwacho Dube was presuming his sid3-chick Ramone with a monthly girlfriend allowance totalling up to R90,000, in addition to extravagant international trips.
This revelation prompted Rebecca to anonymously alert Sars to the fraudulent activities. The anonymous tip provided by Rebecca Dube proved crucial in assisting the Sars investigating team to identify all those involved in the fraud and trace the funds in various bank accounts.
The syndicate comprised four ringleaders, namely Jeremiah Musiwacho Dube and Maxwell Ndlovu Mavudzi, Zimbabwean nationals alongside Boaz Chilala from Zambia and Sello Rathete. They reportedly obtained South African citizenship fraudulently.
According to the publication, between 2009 and 2015, the syndicate orchestrated a VAT fraud scheme, unlawfully obtaining Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds from Sars.
They falsely claimed VAT refunds from Sars by submitting returns alleging expenses incurred through importing and purchasing diesel from local suppliers. The funds were then laundered through various bank accounts, totalling R200 million in claims, with only R100 million paid out by Sars.
Upon the syndicate’s arrest in 2015, they had fraudulently claimed a total of R200 million, with Sars having paid out R100 million before the fraudulent scheme was uncovered.
During the course of the investigation, Mavudzi and Dube reportedly attempted to bribe a senior Sars official with an offer of R150,000 to ensure the payment of one of their false claims. Despite attempts to evade justice, the syndicate members faced prosecution.
In the sentencing, Jeremiah Musiwacho Dube received a staggering 65-year prison term, while his wife, Rebecca Dube, was sentenced to 25 years.
Maxwell Ndlovu Mavudzi, another key figure in the syndicate, also received a 65-year prison sentence. Moliehi Constance Ramone, Dube’s girlfriend, was sentenced to 10 years.
Among the other co-accused, Sello Rathete and Edward Shoniwa were each sentenced to 15 years, while Audrey Radebe and Bongani Mbonani received five-year prison terms. One of the accused, Christopher Dube, absconded after his bail was extended and is currently still at large.
Source iHarare
