Masike Andrew Masike, 71, was discharged on a caution by the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court after appearing in court for allegedly cheating the South African Revenue Service.
Masike was charged alongside his company, Ipokeng Properties and Estate Agents CC, and both appeared in court on Friday.
According to a joint statement from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, often known as the Hawks, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in North West, Masike and his company are facing allegations of fraud and violating the Tax Administration Act.
“The accused was served with summons to appear before court by the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation on August 6, 2024, following an investigation into alleged misrepresentation in value added tax (VAT) returns submitted to South African Revenue Service, amounting to over R4.6 million,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula, North West spokesperson for the Hawks.
Intense investigations revealed that between 2019 and 2021, Masike submitted tax returns to Sars on behalf of his company, Ipokeng Properties and Estate Agents CC.
“Sars reportedly paid the accused a cumulative amount of R4.6 million based on his submissions. Reports indicate that the accused’s company was dormant during the periods when he submitted tax returns. Furthermore, he allegedly failed to submit source documents when requested by Sars,” said Mathebula.
During the brief court appearance on Friday, Masike was released on warning.
His matter was postponed to September 16, 2024.
