Former senior Sars officials due in court on NPA bugging allegation

South African Revenue Services (Sars) former officials Ivan Pillay‚ Johann van Loggerenberg and Andries Janse van Rensburg are set to make a brief appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The three were summoned to appear in court on charges related to the alleged bugging of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) offices in 2007. The charges form part of the alleged "rogue unit" narrative‚ now largely discredited.

The allegations on the bugging of the NPA offices surfaced in a KPMG report‚ parts of which were retracted by the audit firm‚ which also refunded Sars the R23-million it paid for the report.

The matter is likely to be postponed after the NPA gave the three former employees until the end of April to make representations on the matter.

SARS commissioner Tom Moyane‚ who laid the initial complaint that led to the charges against the three‚ was suspended by President Cyril Ramaphosa in March. Moyane was removed partly due to his handling of the disciplinary case against his second-in-charge Jonas Makwakwa‚ who resigned in March.

There is speculation that Pillay is among those who are set to return to SARS‚ possibly as a deputy commissioner. This is seen as a reason the charges against him have been resuscitated‚ according to sources close to the matter.

- BusinessLIVE