Pretoria – The Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court has remanded 31-year-old Pretty Sambo (31) in custody after she was arrested and added to the list of six other people accused of defrauding the South African Revenue Service of almost R1 million.
Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Hawks, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi appeared in court on Tuesday.
“Pretty Sambo was remanded in custody by the Nelspruit Magistrate Court on Tuesday, 3 May 2022 after she was arrested and added as the seventh accused by the Hawks serious commercial crime investigation based in Nelspruit for fraud, theft and alternatively the contravention of the provisions of the Tax Administration Act,” said Sekgotodi.
It is alleged that in June 2017, the accused people including Sambo, submitted fraudulent tax returns and prejudiced the South African Revenue Service.
Sambo allegedly benefited the sum of R25 000 from the total amount of R950 000 defrauded from SARS.
The R25 000 was allegedly paid into her personal bank account.
“The matter is already on the court roll in the specialised commercial crime court and it was postponed previously to the 11th of May 2022,” said Sekgotodi.
“The case against Sambo is postponed to 5 May 2022 for verification of address and formal bail application. The accused remains in custody.”
In February, the director of a firm named Mpenyani CC in Mpumalanga, 39-year-old Lusufi Abednego Mabuza and his company were found guilty of fraud and money laundering by the Nelspruit commercial crimes court for defrauding the South African Revenue Services (SARS) of more than R400 000.
The court sentenced Mabuza to four years direct imprisonment while he and the company were also fined R50 000, Sekgotodi said at the time.
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