Cape businessmen up for fraud

The unit’s commercial crime unit went to four business and residential addresses in Bellville and Melkbosstrand‚ seizing documents and electronic equipment.

Hawks spokesman Captain Lloyd Ramovha said: “Five corporate entities apparently run by the accused are said to have unduly benefited from the duo’s alleged unlawful exploits of running a scheme profiting from undue VAT refunds from SARS since 2002.”

Warner and Fernandes have surrendered their passports and been ordered not to go within 1km of any international departure point.

Warner’s Facebook page says he started working at NWarner and Associates in October 2012. After studying at Spes Bona High School in Athlone‚ he graduated from the University of the Western Cape.

Fernandes is managing director of Sasari Co Ltd‚ in Melkbosstrand.

An employee who answered the phone yesterday morning said Fernandes had not been at work for “the past couple of days” and was expected back on Monday or Tuesday.

Saasri describes itself as “a multinational business registered in Malta whose operations in financial and information management services span several continents”.

Fernandes says on the website that his main focus with the company had been in venture capital projects throughout the world‚ particularly the Middle and Far East‚ Hong Kong‚ China‚ Malta and Africa. — TMG Digital