Sars, Hawks have not met over Makwakwa allegations - Moyane
14 September 2016
Cape Town – Sars commissioner Tom Moyane told Parliament on Wednesday that he had not met with Hawks head Berning Ntlemeza regarding the allegations against Sars second in command Jonas Makwakwa.
The Anti-Corruption Task Team and Sars were briefing Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts when the Sars commissioner told the committee that it was dangerous to rely on media for information on such issues.
This after the task team was asked about recent media reports that Makwakwa, chief officer for business and individual taxes and the "second in command" at Sars, had been singled out for cash payments into his bank account that appeared "suspicious and unusual".
The Sunday Times reported that investigations also focused on three cash deposits, totalling R450 200, to Makwakwa's girlfriend's Absa account just before Christmas 2015.
Moyane was purportedly aware of the report, as it had been handed to him in May. Despite Moyane's apparent awareness of the report, Makwakwa and his girlfriend, Kelly-Ann Elskie, who is also a Sars employee, had remained in their positions.
Media gave wrong impression
The report was allegedly compiled by the banking regulator and contended that Makwakwa had received a total of R1.2m in cash payments between 2010 and January this year.
The preliminary report used bank records for 11 different bank accounts as well as camera footage from the bank branches where the cash deposits were made.
"The answer that I want to give to the committee is that it is very dangerous to work on media information which is not true. I and the general have not met on this matter. It's a matter that Sars has to deal with and present to the authorities," Moyane said on Wednesday.
He said media reports gave the wrong impression "of underhand dealings and activities of a serious nature".
"I want to put it here that I don't and have not met the general in this matter. It's a process on its own that takes its roots within the organisation. It will be done in the process that follows the laws of this country," Moyane told the committee.
This article first appeared on News24, see here.
