East London-based Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, arrested a suspect in connection with attempts to defraud the South African Revenue Service (SARS) of a potential amount of R5.8 million through the submission of fraudulent value-added tax (VAT) returns.
Trevor Mentoro (37), an accounting assistant, was arrested by the Hawks’ serious commercial crimes investigating unit on Tuesday, September 17.
Mentoro made a brief appearance at the East London Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud on the same day of his arrest and was granted bail of R5,000.
The case was postponed to October 16, where Mentoro is expected to join his co-accused and business associate, Alicia Nontsapho Mnqwazi (65), at the East London Regional Court.
Mnqwazi, the sole director of Mwendane Skills Provider CC company, was initially arrested in April and is currently out on R10,000 bail.
The Hawks’ investigating unit has been working tirelessly with SARS officials on the case, resulting in the arrest of Mentoro this week.
Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, said that between the years 2019 and 2021, Mentoro and Mnqwazi intentionally submitted fraudulent VAT 201 tax returns to SARS on behalf of the Mwendane Skills Provider business entity.
According to Mhlakuvana, the Hawks’ investigations revealed that both suspects had intentionally submitted forged and fraudulent VAT returns in an attempt to defraud the revenue service, where the potential prejudice of an amount of R5.8 million was nearly suffered in refunds to the suspects’ business entity.
