Ramaesela Martha Mphahlele (43) was arrested on 3 October 2024 by the Middelburg-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team. She has been added as an accused in an ongoing fraud case, following the arrest of her co-accused, Daniel Maluleke (56), on 27 September 2024 at the Vaalbank Magistrates Court.

Investigations by the Hawks revealed that Mphahlele, who was registered with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) as a Value Added Tax (VAT) vendor and e-filing user, colluded with Maluleke to submit fraudulent VAT returns. These returns led to a refund of R293,958.33, which was deposited into the accuseds’ bank accounts, causing significant financial loss to SARS.

Both Mphahlele and Maluleke appeared before the Vaalbank Magistrates Court on 3 October 2024. Maluleke was granted R5,000 bail, while Mphahlele was released on a warning. The case has been postponed to 5 November 2024 and will be transferred to the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Authorities are still pursuing the arrest of a final suspect linked to the case.

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