Time’s up for tax evaders. That’s the sentiment derived from the latest sentence imposed on a company and its directors for tax evasion. The ruling was handed down in the Strand Magistrates Court on 21 July 2026.
Time’s up for tax evaders
According to the Western Cape Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation), the sentence was handed down to the company, Ricford Finance Company (Pty) Ltd, and its directors, Thilo Elkehard Lippert (62) and Craig Ernest Browne (55), for tax evasion.
Lieutenant-Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi says the accused were found guilty and sentenced on all counts of contravening the Tax Administration Act and the Income Tax and Value Added Tax Act.
Tax evasion: The sentence
Vukubi says Ricford Finance Company (Pty) Ltd was sentenced to a cumulative fine of R684 000.00. This was suspended for a period of five years on condition that it is not found guilty of similar charges during the period of suspension.
At the same time, both directors were sentenced to a cumulative fine of R228 000.00 or 684 months’ imprisonment each.
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The first and the last payment
He added that the court ordered that each accused pay R28 000.00 on the day of sentencing. The instruction then read that the remaining R200 000.00 should be paid in instalments of R5 000.00 per month.
The first instalment is to be paid on 07 September 2026, while the last payment is due on 07 September 2029.
113 charges
According to the Hawks’ investigation, it was revealed that during the period 2022 to 2023, the entity, Ricford Finance Company (Pty) Ltd and its directors contravened the Income Tax Act, Tax Administration Act and Value Added Tax Act. They were charged accordingly on 113 counts.
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