15 year jail term for attempted bribery of SARS official
Pretoria 17 October 2012
The attempted bribery and subsequent intimidation of a SARS official has resulted in a 15-year jail term for a Gauteng man this week.
On Monday, the Germiston Regional Court sentenced Mr Humphrey Ngundwe to 10 years jail on a charge of corruption, and 5 years on a charge of intimidation. The sentences are to run separately, which means he will serve 15 years in total. He is currently in custody, pending an appeal.
In 2008, Mr Ngundwe attempted to claim almost R400 000 in fraudulent VAT refunds. His claim was picked up during SARS' standard VAT screening process, and SARS requested further supporting documentation from him. Mr Ngundwe then offered the SARS staff member a R20 000 bribe.
The attempt was reported to SARS Anti-Corruption and Security division, who, after engaging with the NPA, conducted a sting operation, and "accepted" the money he was offering. Mr Ngundwe was then arrested on a charge of corruption. After an initial court appearance, he was released on bail pending his case being heard.