A Bloemfontein-based bookkeeper is charged with tax fraud emanating from the alleged submission of fraudulent company income tax returns. The Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court postponed the case against Annette Amicia Hewetson (64) to 23 July.
She made her first appearance on 25 June, facing a charge of contravention of the Tax Administration Act.
Col. Zweli Mohobeleli, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said Hewetson’s appearance was a result of probing by the Bloemfontein Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) team. He said the elite crime fighting wing launched an investigation after the South African Revenue Service (Sars) reported the discovery of alleged false tax returns.
Mohobeleli said upon completion of the investigation, Hewetson was notified on 3 June of her appearance pertaining to the tax fraud case.
“Sars alleges that the suspect submitted fraudulent company income tax returns during the tax periods of 2016 to 2018. This resulted in Sars suffering losses of more than R600 000,” said Mohobeleli.
In April, the Hawks secured a conviction in a separate fraud and money laundering case against another bookkeeper, Sylvia Becker (37). The case entailed ghost workers at the Letaba Lab in central Bloemfontein. Becker was working as a bookkeeper and quality manager at the company.
“During May 2021, the complainant discovered that Becker created ghost employees and transferred salaries to her personal bank account, as well as the bank accounts of her children. These fraudulent transfers of salaries took place between December 2019 and May 2021.
“The fraudulent activities resulted in the Letaba Lab suffering a total loss of R1 300 000,” said Capt. Christopher Singo, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks.
Based on compelling evidence presented, the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court sentenced Becker to ten years’ imprisonment for fraud and eight years for contravention of section 4 of the Prevention of Organised Crime (Poca) Act (money laundering).
“The court also ordered her to pay an amount of R600 000 back to the complainant – in montly instalments of R10 000 over a period of 60 months.
“She was ordered to pay the confiscation amount of R133 370 to the complainant,” said Singo.
He said both the sentences were suspended for five years on the condition that Becker is not found guility of fraud and money laundering during that period.
She was arrested in June last year and has appeared in court on several occasions, with this culminating in her conviction an sentencing.
