SARS Commission continues on Friday

The SARS Commission of Inquiry chaired by retired judge Robert Nugent will continue for the fifth day of public hearings on Friday.

The commission is expected to hear testimony from acting SARS Commissioner Mark Kingon.

On Thursday, Nugent said that the Commission would not be deterred by side shows of his recommendation to fire suspended SARS commissioner Tom Moyane.

In his interim report, Nugent recommended that President Cyril Ramaphosa should fire Moyane with immediate effect to set the organisation on a firm path of recovery.

The SARS inquiry is probing financial misconduct at SARS during Moyane’s term of leadership at the revenue service.

Responding to question from journalists on whether Nugent had overstepped his mark in the calling for Moyane’s axing, Nugent said that his recommendation was not a call on a “disciplinary matter” but was one of “management”.

This after suspended SARS commissioner Tom Moyane’s lawyer Eric Mabuza stated that Nugent was acting outside the terms of his reference.

Mabuza said that Nugent had stepped on advocate Azhar Bham’s terrain who is chairing Moyane’s disciplinary hearing.

The commission is expected to submit its final report to the president in December.