NOORDWESTER – MMABATHO - Morongwa Trading CC, represented by its sole director, Ntombizodwa Faith Losaba (56), and company accountant/bookkeeper, Johannes Maphake (48), appeared in the Mmabatho Magistrates’ Court facing three counts of fraud each. The pair was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit.
Investigations revealed that Morongwa Trading CC was registered for Company Income Tax (CIT) and Value Added Tax (VAT).
It is alleged that in 2013 Losaba and Maphake submitted CIT returns reflecting a lower income than the company had earned, causing SARS to suffer a loss of over R400 000.
In November 2014, the company submitted nil CIT returns despite making a profit, leading to an estimated R2 million in undeclared income.
In 2016, they submitted nil VAT returns for the 2015 tax year while the company was operational and generating income, resulting in R1.4 million in unpaid taxes.
Both accused were granted bail of R10 000 each with standard conditions: they must not interfere with investigations or witnesses and must refrain from committing any further offences while on bail. The matter was postponed to 1 September for further investigations.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, commended all role players for ensuring the matter was placed on the court roll.
“The National Prosecuting Authority remains committed to ensuring accoun-tability and reinforcing a culture of tax compliance. Criminal prosecution is a vital tool in addressing wilful non-compliance with tax laws,” she said.
