Cape Town – A South African swimwear model, Candice van der Merwe, may be summoned to the Cape High Court to explain the origins of $15.3m (R155m) she claims was a gift from an unnamed Arab admirer.
Van der Merwe says the astounding sum was a gift from “a companion” she met at a private Seychelles resort.
The young model said she was one among many models hired to “lend a sense of glamour and exclusivity” to “lavish parties” attended by super-wealthy guests.
However the South African Revenue Service (SARS) disagrees and says her story lacks credibility and suspects that the large amount of money is a tax evasion plan from her father, Gary van der Merwe, who owes them an even greater amount, Life is Savage reported.
SARS has obtained an interim order placing Van der Merwe’s assets under the control of a curator.