Advocate who cheated Sars of R100m can appeal

Lawyer was sentenced to 65 years

- By Bongani Mdakane

A lawyer and businessman who was sentenced to a lengthy prison term for defrauding the South African Revenue Service (Sars) of R100-million has been granted leave to appeal his 65-year jail term.

Adv Maxwell Mavudzi, a Zimbabwean national and a businessman, filed an application in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein to have his sentence reviewed.

Mavudzi was sentenced to 65 years behind bars by Johannesburg High Court acting judge Mudunwazi Makamu in October last year following a six-year trial.

Mavudzi and his nine co-accused, who include among them South Africans, a Zambian, a Lesotho national and Zimbabweans were convicted on 391 counts of money laundering, fraud and forgery.

Mavudzi, who is serving his prison term in Johannesburg Prison, better known as Sun City in the south of Johannesburg, approached the SCA for the sentence that saw him languishing in jail. His appeal was granted on May 6 by the SCA.

"Condonation as applied for is granted. The decision of the court dated 22 August 2024, dismissing the applicant's application for leave to appeal with costs, is referred to the court for reconsideration, and if necessary, variation.