I did not purge officials at Sars – Lebelo

Denies being Tom Moyane’s ‘henchman’, wants to set record straight by appearing at commission of inquiry

THE senior Sars official fingered by several witnesses in an ongoing inquiry for plotting to fire other officials, instead pointed the finger the other way.

“I did not purge officials at Sars,” said group executive for employee relations Luther Lebelo testifying at the Nugent Commission of Inquiry into Sars.

Lebelo, along with former Sars chief operating opfficer Jonas Makwakwa are being blamed for waging a campaign to rid the tax collector of experienced investigators, auditors and lawyers who blocked the tobacco smuggling and illicit flow of money allegedly for their own personal interests.

The commission had, since its inception, heard evidence from various witnesses, of how institutions which fought organised crime were dismantled.

Former Sars deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay also testified how he was pushed out on the grounds that he set up a “rogue unit” to spy on several high-profile people, especially former president Jacob Zuma.

During his testimony, the confident-looking Lebelo was adamant that he had no role, as head of employee relations at Sars, in a decision to discipline Pillay for his alleged role in the formation of the “rogue unit”.

He said while he was group executive employee relations, such a decision could have been made by suspended Sars commissioner Tom Moyane and the head of human resources, who reported to him.

Lebelo said it was a normal occurrence at Sars that Moyane would bypass him on numerous labour matters but that did not bother him.

He said he first heard allegations that he was “Moyane’s henchman” in media reports and that prompted him to volunteer to appear before the commission and set the record straight.

“I had good working relations with them. I was never part of Commissioner Tom Moyane’s henchmen at Sars. I read about it in the media,” he insisted.

He said the decision to charge Pillay came after an independent senior counsel confirmed the findings of the Sikhakhane panel report in 2014 that a “rogue unit” was illegally and unlawfully set up at Sars.

Lebelo said the senior counsel’s corroboration of the Sikhakhane findings led to the suspension of Pillay and other officials who were accused of being part of the “rogue unit”.

It appeared that little did he know that the evidence leaders led by Advocate Carol Steinberg had an ace up their sleeves.

Advocate Steinberg produced a memorandum dated April 29, 2015 in which the same senior counsel advised him personally that there was no substantial evidence to support the allegations of the existence of a “rogue unit”.

Of the memorandum, Lebelo, despite legal opinion, insisted that Pillay should be disciplined for his role in the alleged “rogue unit”.

“Our client (Luther Lebelo) insisted on going ahead with the charge,” the memo stated.

Initially, Lebelo denied knowledge of the memorandum, but later retracted it.

Due to that incriminating revelation, he asked Judge Nugent to allow him until today to explain his decision to continue charging Pillay despite legal advice.

I had good working relations with them. I was never part of Commissioner Tom Moyane’s henchmen at Sars.