Three plead not guilty to defrauding the taxman

THREE family members pleaded not guilty to fraud yesterday, as the first of a string of alleged offenders stood trial for duping the taxman.

Maureen Landman, her sister Wendy Fourie, and her husband Josua Fourie deny allegations that they knowingly claimed thousands of rands to which they were not entitled.

They are just three of 20 men and women who allegedly benefited from the illegal e-filing claims of bookkeeper Lindy Sharp, also the sister of Landman and Wendy Fourie.

Sharp has already pleaded guilty to her part in the alleged scheme, implicating her co-accused.

She awaits sentencing for defrauding the South African Revenue Service (SARS) out of nearly R2-million and is set to testify on behalf of the prosecution.

In the case of Landman and the Fouries, it is alleged they corruptly agreed to pay gratification to Sharp, depending on the amount they were paid out.

For the scheme to succeed, the accused first had to be registered as taxpayers before subscribing for the SARS e-filing service.

The prosecution alleges they formed a common pur- pose with Sharp by providing SARS with employer details which were false, or inflated their Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Standard Income Tax on Employees (SITE) amounts.

This allegedly caused them to be paid out amounts to which they were not entitled.

Sharp would then take a cut of the payout.

It is further alleged that they helped recruit clients for Sharp.

Yesterday, Landman and Wendy and Josua Fourie pleaded not guilty to all counts. They deny any knowledge of Sharp’s unlawful activities.

The matter was postponed to February 2 for trial.