Alleged tax fraudsters rounded by Hawks in North West, before being released on bail

Two accused people, Joyce Catherine Phiri, 66 and Elias Koketso Mongale, 59, appeared before the Molopo Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday facing charges of fraud and contravention of the Tax Administration Act.

The duo was arrested by the Mahikeng-based Hawks' serious corruption investigation unit on Tuesday.

Hawks spokesperson in North West, Warrant Officer Amogelang Malwetse said Phiri and Mongale are accused of fraudulent activities in declaring their gross income to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

“A probe into the matter revealed that Joyce Catherine Phiri was registered with SARS for personal tax income. However, she failed to declare her gross income between the years 2016 to 2022,” said Malwetse.

“It is further alleged that she also omitted to submit returns for tax assessment despite constant reminders from revenue officials. Reports indicate that in some instances, Phiri either under-declared her income or misrepresented herself by making false entries to evade tax.”

As a result, SARS suffered a total prejudice amounting to R1.9 million. 

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“Investigation revealed that Elias Koketso Mongale defrauded SARS by submitting personal income tax with false information that he received no taxable income  between 2015 and 2022. As a result SARS suffered a total loss of R1.8 million,” said Malwetse.

Following the court appearance on Wednesday, Phiri was released on R5,000 bail while Mongale was released on R3,000. 

Both their matters were postponed to April 16 for further investigation.

Meanwhile, North West acting provincial head of the Hawks, Brigadier Silas Munzhedzi and the Director of Public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari have welcomed the arrest of the duo, and commended the investigation and prosecution team “for their collaborative efforts with SARS to fight tax corruption and ensure that perpetrators are brought to book”.

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