Cape Argus - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the multiple fraud and theft convictions of a Noordhoek tax practitioner, whose victims included Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille.
NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said the fact that Linda Addison-Adams, 54, was found guilty proved that the State had a strong case against her.
Addison-Adams was convicted in the Wynberg Regional Court on 72 counts of fraud, 13 counts of theft and eight counts for failing to submit income tax returns.
Ntabazalila said the conviction sent a stern message to society: “Beware - you will be caught.”
He said: “We have a highly effective NPA-Sars team that will catch you and when we do, you will pay dearly for the damage you are doing to society. We are not a team of debt collectors. If we catch you, you will go to prison.”
Ntabazalila said Addison-Adams had used a number of methods of defrauding her clients, but the illegal activity stopped when one of her victims reported her suspicious behaviour to Sars.
The investigation began in 2005 and when the matter was ready for trial, the State called more than 40 witnesses in support of its case. A few well-known clients, including De Lille, who had been swindled out of more than R80 000, testified against Addison-Adams.
Initially, Addison-Adams claimed she had taken the money for fees owed to her and had not issued invoices to her clients, but half-way through her cross-examination by Freek Geyser, she decided to admit guilt.
“The accused was not only defrauding Sars, but also clients who trusted her,” Ntabazalila said.
She had caused many delays and the case had been on the roll for five years.
Sentencing of Addison-Adams is set for September 2.
Cape Argus