A 39-year-old man who claimed to be a SARS employee and attempted to extort a prominent Gauteng businessman out of R3.5 million is expected to appear in the Germiston Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu, says he was arrested during an undercover sting operation in Bedfordview, east of Johannesburg on Wednesday.
It is believed that the suspect recently approached the businessman under the pretence of being a SARS tax consultant and claimed that his business owed over R100 million in tax returns.
Captain Mulamu says he later demanded an amount of R25 000 as a deposit to start the cancellation process on the system.
He was arrested on charges of extortion during the entrapment operation by members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team.
The investigation continues and more arrests are expected.
