Johannesburg - The SA Revenue Service's strategic planning and risk group executive, Peter Richer, has been suspended again, Sars has announced.
Richer was officially suspended on Tuesday, it said in a statement.
He and deputy Sars commissioner Ivan Pillay were initially suspended on 5 December amid allegations of a special projects unit engaging in illegal activities in Sars.
Situation merits suspension
Both men challenged their suspension before the labour court. On 17 December Richer and Sars reached an out of court agreement that his suspension would be lifted to give him time to make representations as to why he should not be suspended.
On Wednesday however, the tax collector said: "Sars has considered Mr Richer’s representations and remains of the view that the situation merits a suspension."
Pillay went ahead with his labour court bid to be reinstated. The court found Sars breached its contract with him when it suspended him without written notice.
"Clearly... Sars acted in breach of the contract when it issued the suspension notice without complying with... the suspension policy," Judge Annelie Basson ruled on 18 December.
Returned to work
"I am also persuaded that the applicant was not afforded an opportunity to make representations."
She ordered that Pillay's suspension be lifted and he returned to work on 18 December.
The Sunday Times however reported that Sars handed Pillay a suspension notice the same day. It gave Pillay until 12 January to say why he should not be suspended again.