KwaZulu-Natal hospital and its owner in court for allegedly defrauding the SARS of millions
A Pietermaritzburg doctor, Navind Dayanand, and his company, Daymed Private Hospital (Pty) Ltd, have been charged with defrauding the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
Dayanand is also charged with his wife Nerupa, Douglas Mpofu, Carla Domenica Louden, and Yagasami Ronnie Perumal.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, regional spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Directorate of Public Prosecutions, said in a statement on Tuesday that the hospital is charged with company income tax fraud, value-added tax fraud and pay as you earn (PAYE) credit fraud with an actual prejudice of about R37-million to Sars and a potential prejudice of R498-million for PAYE.
Dayanand is charged with personal income tax fraud and VAT fraud to the value of R142-million and PAYE credit fraud with the potential prejudice of R637-million to Sars, she said.
Nerupa Dayanand was allegedly the company’s financial manager and was involved in hiring and dismissing the mandates of the various accountants hired to submit tax returns on behalf of both the doctor and Daymed.
Ramkisson-Kara added that Mpofu and Louden, both tax practitioners, are alleged to have submitted returns to Sars on behalf of Daymed.
Perumal is the internal bookkeeper at Daymed Hospital.
The alleged offences took place from 2012 to 2020.
Ramkisson-Kara said only Mpofu and Perumal appeared in court on Tuesday.
An attorney for the Dayanands provided the court with a sick note stating they were unwell and couldn’t attend.
Louden’s attorney also advised the court of her inability to attend court as she was unwell.
“Warrants of arrest were issued and stayed until the next court date,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
The matter was adjourned to February 24 next year for statements and for all the accused to be present.
This story was first published by The Witness on www.citizen.co.za/witness