The Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court in Mpumalanga, South Africa has found Mathilda Shongwe, 35 guilty on charges of money laundering.
Shongwe was arrested in August last year by the Nelspruit-based Hawks’ serious commercial crime unit, Hawks provincial spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi confirmed.
“Shongwe was sentenced to five years imprisonment wholly suspended for five years. The sentence followed after the arrest of the two accused, Rejoice Sindisile Magagula (40) who is the director/ member/ servant of the company, Fundzani Trading cc and Mathilda Shongwe who is the beneficiary,” said Sekgotodi.
She said the two unlawfully claimed undue funds by submitting false tax returns on behalf of the company, to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in 2021.
Mathilda Shongwe, aged 35, was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to five years wholly suspended.
“The total amount of R203,681 was paid from the South African Revenue Service on January 6, 2021 for the tax season 2015/2016, into the business account of the company and was further transferred into (the) accused’s personal bank accounts, prejudicing Sars an actual loss of R 203,681,” Sekgotodi said.
Magagula equally transferred R41,200 to Shongwe’s personal bank account as a beneficiary.
“The case against Shongwe was finalised hence the sentence while the case against Rejoice Sindisile Magagula was postponed to October 14, 2022, for sentencing,” she said.
SARS warned in June that taxpayers must be mindful, given the sharp increase in scams targeting taxpayers to disclose personal information that can be used to defraud them as well as the Revenue Service.