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The South African Revenue Service (SARS) said in a statement that an employee working at Bloemfontein’s debt management office was arrested following a sting operation by the HAWKS for allegedly soliciting a bribe from a taxpayer.
The employee allegedly offered to cancel a taxpayer’s tax debt in exchange for payment of 20,000 rand. SARS said it will fully cooperate with the HAWKS in the investigation.
Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said that while SARS will not pre-empt the ongoing investigation, the organization wanted to state that it would not tolerate any of its officials engaging in any collusion with taxpayers or any act of embezzlement.
“SARS employees occupy positions of privilege and trust, and are expected to display the highest levels of professionalism, act with the utmost honesty and integrity, and apply tax and customs laws competently, without fear, favor or prejudice.” , He said.
“We cannot take the hard work of many honest SARS employees to be undermined and compromised.”
Kieswetter added that all SARS employees must maintain their irreproachable conduct in the service of the country and its people in line with Vision 2024, which seeks to build a SARS with unquestionable integrity that the government and the public can trust and admire. Any action that distracts from achieving this vision has no place in SARS.
The arrested person will appear in court on Wednesday.
Read: South Africa’s ‘blueprint’ is broken; here’s how to fix it: PwC
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