Fraud syndicate hit by AFU seizures
Publish date: 14 April 2011
Issue Number: 261
Diary: Legalbrief Forensic
Category: General
A Pakistani and SA-run syndicate that defrauded SARS of around R77m has been 'crippled' after the Asset Forfeiture Unit seized more than R20m of its assets, says a report on the IoL site.
'The AFU obtained 14 orders in the South Gauteng High Court, in terms of the provisions of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, authorising the seizure of property relating to fraud committed against SARS between September 2008 and March 2009,' the NPA said. It added that investigations had led to the arrest and prosecution of a number of individuals on charges of fraud, money laundering and corruption. Three of the nine accused have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. The alleged kingpins of the syndicate - identified as Aliraza Syed Naqvi, a Pakistani national and Jabulani Freddy Sewela, a SA citizen - will appear in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on 1 June 2011 with the remaining accused. Full report on the IoL site
