Zim billionaire Rudland fingered in R-3 bn money laundering scandal in SA

Johhanesburg- ZIMBABWEAN billionaire and Zanu PF oligarch Simon Rudland and his associates have been implicated in a well orchestrated network of illicit tobacco , gold and cash smuggling syndicate and money laundering racket in South Africa, Express Mail Zim has learnt.

Rudland and his alleged accomplices are said to have prejudiced at least R-3bn and the South African Revenue Services (Sars) raised a red flag and swooped on them last week.

According to leading investigative publication the Daily Maverick, “Rudland and crew were involved in corrupting of bank officials from Sasfin and allegedly externalised R3-billion to foreign countries and delete banking transactions.

Last week, Sars acting on a court order, took charge of bank accounts, premises and all other assets owned by Rudland’s cigarette manufacturer Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation” (GLTC).

In Zimbabwe, they trade as Remmington Gold and their products have been allegedly smuggled into South Africa with the the aid of former Vice President Kembo Mohadi who literally runs the border town of Beitbridge.

Express Mail Zim understands that a multiyear probe, carried out by Daily Maverick established that Rudland and associates wantonly neglected to declare more than R2,5-billion in income from illicit cigarettes for the years 2017/18, nor VAT of more than R356-million from September 2016 to July 2017.

“To hide the crimes, the plunder network is accused of running a cross-border money laundering racket that leaned on bribed Sasfin banking officials to sneak over R3-billion in undeclared money mainly to Dubai, camouflage their footprints by deleting banking transactions, expedite payments, craft fake documentation and delete forex movement reports to the Reserve Bank,” reported the Daily Maverick.

According to the multiyear probe, it is further said that Sasfin COO Rodger Dunn in March admitted to Sars that the bank’s own belated investigation there was proof to “evidences deletion of transactions”.

He is said to have made the admission in a letter annexed to Sars court application dated March 31 2022.

He admitted that the bank statements were reconstructed.

According to Sars investigative report, Rudland “initiated and established the protocols in relation to the remittance of funds to foreign jurisdictions” and “was directly involved in issuing instructions on behalf of GLTC…regarding how these illicit funds had to be dealt with…”, read part of the report.

It further reads that he negotiated fees with the network’s money launderer.

“Mr Rudland was at all times aware of the deposits …in the GLTC Sasfin bank accounts and the remittance of funds to foreign jurisdictions.”

He took steps to circumvent the detection of these deposits and payments from the relevant authorities, including Sars.”

Rudland has embarked on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes in Zimbabwe and has supported the country’s biggest football club Dynamos .

In August 2019, he cheated death after he was shot at in Johannesburg.

His phone was not available to responded to questions at the time of writing.

His daughter Chelsea , who also doubles up as his executive assistant was also not available.