USalim Essa ubhekene nesikweletu sentela sika-R2.6 billion

USalim Essa, owake waba nguzakwabo kwezamabhizinisi nomndeni wodumo lwakwaGupta, ugixabezwe isikweletu sika-R2.6 billion yiSouth African Revenue Service (Sars). U-Essa, osolwa ngokuba ngungqondongqondo ezivumelwaneni eziningi zenkohlakalo ezibandakanya izinhlaka zikahulumeni, unesikhathi kuze kube uFebhuwari 13 ukuthi aqede lesikweletu noma abhekane nengalo yomthetho.

U-Essa uthathwa njengomunye wababambe iqhaza esivumelwaneni sokubanjwa kombuso yidlanzana, lapho kuthathwe izigidigidi zamarandi esikhwameni sikahulumeni ngabantu abazimele kanye nezinkampani ezinobudlelwano obusondelene nowayengumengameli wezwe uMnuz Jacob Zuma namadlelandawonye akhe.

AbakwaSars, abebesemkhankasweni wokubuyisa imali elahlekile kubahlukumezi bombuso, benze uphenyo olunzulu ngezindaba zentela yakwa-Essa. Ngokusho kwabakwaSars, u-Essa ubekade eveza iholo lakhe ‘elincane’ iminyaka eyisikhombisa ilandelana, kusukela ngo-2012 kuya ku-2019, ngokusebenzisa inethiwekhi yezinkampani ezingu-15 ukufihla noma ukuguqula imali yakhe.

AbakwaSars benze isiphakamiso sokuthi kulungiswe isikweletu sentela sika-Essa, esifinyelela ku-R2.6 billion, okuhlanganisa izinhlawulo nenzalo. U-Essa unikezwe izinsuku ezingama-21 ukuthi aphendule ezinguqukweni ezihlongozwayo, noma abhekane nemiphumela yokuhlolwa kwe-Sars ngaphandle kwesaziso esengeziwe.

Lesikweletu sentela ka-Essa singesinye sezinkulu kwezake yakhishwa abakwaSars, futhi uyisixwayiso kulabo abake babandakanyeka ekubanjweni kombuso noma kwezinye izinhlobo zenkohlakalo yezimali.

I-Sars ifunge yagomela ukuthi izolandela bonke labo abagweme noma abagwema ukukhokha ingxenye yabo yentela, futhi ibafake enkantolo. U-Essa, okukholakala ukuthi uhlala eDubai, akakaphawuli ngalesikweletu noma iqhaza lakhe ekuthunjweni kombuso.

U-Essa kusolakala ukuthi wasiza futhi wahlomula ezinkontilekeni ezimbalwa ezingabazekayo, njengesivumelwano sika-R54 billion sesitimela phakathi kweTransnet neChina South Rail, inkontileka ka-R1.6 billion yokubonisana phakathi kukaTransnet noMcKinsey & Company, kanye nenkontileka ka-R500 million phakathi kuka-Eskom neTrillian Capital Partners, inkampani yakhe u-Essa.