SARS is getting its money back from a Cape Town businessman‚ his son and their bookkeeper who stole R615 000, notes a TimesLIVE report. Thomas Fortuin‚ Tom-Ross Fortuin and Ivor Carolissen were convicted yesterday of 382 counts, including fraud‚ forgery‚ uttering and failing to submit income tax returns. The men entered into a plea bargain with the state in the Cape Town District Court.

Thomas Fortuin (65)‚ of Franschhoek‚ and his 35-year-old son‚ from Bellville‚ were each sentenced to 18 months’ house arrest and four hours of community service a week. Both also received four-year prison sentences suspended for five years on the condition that they do not re-offend. Tom-Ross was also ordered to pay SARS the R615 000 they stole.

Carolissen was given a direct prison sentence of three years‚ with another three years suspended.

He was also reported to the National Tax Practitioners Board‚ and all the companies involved in the trio’s crimes were deregistered. NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the criminal scheme started in 2008‚ when shell companies registered in the name of Thomas Fortuin’s wife began submitting falsified claims for VAT refunds.

Thomas Fortuin was an unrehabilitated insolvent when he conducted the fraud but he used the names of family members to register the shell companies. ‘The fraudsters were persistent in ensuring that they got the money even when SARS discovered their scheme‚’ said Ntabazalila.

Full TimesLIVE report