EASTERN CAPE - Paulina Muzenda (47) and her company Yokei Trading Close Corporation were sentenced by East London Regional Court on 28 June 2023 for charges of fraud. During the financial year 2016/2017, Muzenda and her company made a supply of goods to Buffalo City Municipality,Amathole District Municipality and Standard Bank Fleet Management .The supplier did not declare the income to South African Revenue Services (SARS) when filing for the Value Added Tax returns causing SARS to suffer an actual loss of more than R175 000.
The investigations by the Hawks led to the arrest of Muzenda and her company in 2021.
After a series of court appearances, Muzenda and her business entity were ultimately sentenced on 28 June 2023.The company Yokei Trading CC was given a R25 000 fine sentence while Muzenda was slammed with a R50 000 fine or to undergo 5 years direct imprisonment of which half is suspended for a period 5 years provided she does not commit the same offence again during the suspension period. Should Muzenda opt for imprisonment ,she would remain incarcerated for two and a half years (30 months).
The Provincial Head Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya commends the East London based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks for a series of remarkable successes.