The NPA has welcomed the conviction of a Gabonese national jailed for a R67 million VAT fraud scheme, warning that economic crimes will face prosecution and accountability.
A Gabonese national has been jailed for an effective 10 years after defrauding the South African Revenue Service (SARS) of approximately R67 million through fraudulent Value-Added Tax (VAT) refund claims, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.
Andre Claude De Diguela, 54, was convicted in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 128 counts of fraud involving fraudulent VAT refund claims amounting to about R67 million and 66 counts of money laundering relating to approximately R10 million.
Under a plea and sentence agreement with the State, De Diguela was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for the fraud charges, with five years suspended, and a further 10 years for the money laundering charges.
The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 10 years' direct imprisonment.
