Cape Town - A newlywed couple who operated from a business in the same road as Parliament face tax fraud charges of nearly R1 million, with parliamentarians being among their defrauded clients.
The two accused, registered practitioner Heidi Jasmine Williams, 36, and her husband Senegalese Daouda Cisse, 41, silently held hands as they stood in the dock this week in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
The pair were arrested on Thursday and charged with 1 700 counts of fraud after it was discovered that they had submitted fraudulent income tax returns to Sars through their e-filing tax business. The accused had operated from premises on 62 Plein Street, just metres from Parliament.
It is alleged that medical expenses of clients belonging to medical aid schemes were inflated and they even claimed for some who had no medical aid.
The court heard that the couple racked up R981 600 from the fees charged to a long list of unsuspecting taxpayers. Clients who were defrauded included officials working at Parliament and the government, members of the police, Correctional Services and the SA National Defence Force, staff of Golden Arrow Bus Services, Poly Oak and other companies.
Defending both accused, attorney Larisa Smuts revealed during a reading of the couple’s affidavits that they had married last month in Senegal.
The court also heard that Williams had three children aged from 14 to three months old. The infant was the married couple’s child.
Smuts said Cisse has been living in the country since 2004 and intended to make it his “permanent” home. Both accused were in Senegal when they were told of the charges and intend to plead not guilty to all counts of tax fraud.
State prosecutor Wellington Sampisi said the pair may face additional charges. Presiding magistrate Alfreda Lewis granted the couple bail of R25 000 each.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman, Eric Ntabazalila, said the money the accused had accumulated from their alleged fraudulent activity was confiscated.
“The majority of the people they helped were unaware that the couple were claiming by fraudulent means,” said Ntabazalila.