The South Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has convicted the three Zimbabweans and six other people for fraud. South Africa makes it clear that crime is not profitable.
Due to their participation in an intricate fraud operation, Mavudzi Maxwell Ndlovu, Edward Shoniwa, and Jeremiah Nyasha Musiwacho Dube—all from Zimbabwe—were sentenced to an astounding 10 939 years in prison.
The group was found guilty on 391 charges of money laundering, fraud, and forgery in addition to a number of other offenses such as breaking multiple laws, helping someone else profit from illegal activity, and violating the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
With 23 cases filed against them at the Johannesburg Central police station, the scope of their illegal activity is startling.
The accused, according to the South African Police Service, belonged to a number of organizations registered under the Companies Act, the Close Corporations Act, or both. They had deceitfully requested unauthorized VAT refunds from SARS.
They cheated SARS of an astounding R300 million by submitting fictitious VAT filings and faked receipts to back up their claims.
The defendants shared a common objective when they moved the illicitly obtained money into several bank accounts they were in charge of.
The organizations in question were able to fool SARS and siphon off a large amount of money, even though they did not conduct any genuine business during the period they claimed the refunds.
The case is made much more complex and serious by the involvement of two South African nationals who turned state witnesses and one who passed away during the tria
