Durban – The Africa Tax Academy has refuted reports that one of its directors Jonas Makwakwa left the SA Revenue Services (Sars) under a cloud.
In the statement the company issued on Monday, it described them as a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing Makwakwa's integrity just because the company was doing work for the Botswana government tax agency.
In reports in various publications at the weekend it was alleged that Makwakwa left Sars under a cloud in 2017 after he was investigated for suspicious deposits into his personal account.
ATA dismissed the reports as false and defamatory against its director, vowing to take legal action if these reports are not retracted.
This paper has been reliably informed that Makwakwa's sins could be that ATA has issued adverse tax findings against the giant diamond mine in Botswana which an audit by ATA revealed was involved in tax evasion.
"It is clear that these attacks exist because of the work that ATA is conducting in one of Botswana’s parastatals.
“ATA finds these media reports unsubstantiated, false and defamatory; coupled with recycled old stories that have already been disproven by authoritative investigations and reports.
“Through these far-fetched stories, the reporters undermine robust processes that cleared Mr Makwakwa of any wrongdoing, while further casting aspersions on him," read the ATA statement.
In correcting the false reports, the company said there was no investigation by authorities in Botswana, arguing that ATA or its directors have never been contacted by any authorities regarding any investigation(s) in Botswana.
The statement dded that ATA and its directors have never engaged in conduct that may warrant such investigations, however, should any investigation ensue, the company will fully co-operate with the authorities.
On his resignation from Sars, the company said Makwakwa never left Sars under any “cloud” but resigned, adding that when he voluntarily left Sars, he had no pending investigations against him by either Sars or any other authorities.
The attempts to find fault in him through internal investigations were dealt with and closed.
Furthermore, the company said the Hogan Lovells investigation and an independent disciplinary hearing had cleared Makwakwa of any wrongdoing.
ATA also dismissed reports that the Nugent Commission found against Makwakwa, saying the findings were exaggerated and untrue.
The Nugent Commission was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations of misconduct by Sars boss Tom Moyane and other officials. The commission recommended the dismissal of Moyane.
"It is important to note that it is almost five years since Makwakwa left the public service in South Africa.
“Why the media continues to hound him and attempt to smear his name remains a mystery.
“Sadly, some in the South African media are leading the charge of a smear campaign to try to destroy a South African company to hinder its ability to earn an income elsewhere.
“This targeted smear seems to have been solely reserved for blacks only. We will not allow our company's good name and directors to be dragged through the mud by hired guns who spread propaganda with malicious intent," concluded the statement.
Daily News