Sars inquiry: fear and stalling at every turn
A dread of reprisals at Sars is preventing staffers from coming forward to testify, while suspended commissioner Tom Moyane seems to employ every delaying tactic to slow down his disciplinary process
The SA Revenue Service (Sars) commission of inquiry into governance and administration at the tax agency took an ominous twist this week, as testimony revealed that Sars staff were too petrified to come forward and give evidence. The commission, chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Robert Nugent, began its second round of public hearings as suspended Sars commissioner Tom Moyane continued in his bid to stonewall the separate disciplinary process against him. Nugent kicked off proceedings with evidence from Sars group executive Randall Carolissen, who sits on the agency’s top leadership structure, its executive committee. It emerged during his submission that Sars "reeked with fear": a candid admission, said Nugent, who has been at the agency’s Pretoria headquarters continuing the inquiry since it started earlier this year. Nugent told Carolissen that people had refused outright to give evidence to the inquiry out of fear of reprisals. Carolissen acknowledged that the Sars executiv...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.