The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has hit out at the “continued and sustained media attacks” on the integrity of the organisation and that of its commissioner Tom Moyane.

In a statement released by its spokesperson Sandile Memela on Friday, Sars said no previous commissioner has been subjected to “such an unrelenting media assault” like Moyane.

The Revenue Service has for the past two weeks been mired in controversy over its failure to timeously act on allegations that Jonas Makwakwa, chief officer for business and individual taxes, has received suspicious payments to the value of R1.2-million between 2010 and 2016.

According to the Sunday Times, Moyane received a report from a banking regulator in May already, detailing the allegations against Makwakwa. But Moyane has only recently acted against Makwakwa after an exposé in the media.

Moyane blamed the delay in investigating Makwakwa on the Financial Intelligence Centre’s (FIC) failure to cooperate regarding his report on the said suspicious transactions.

In Friday’s statement, Sars said the media and all parties involved should “allow and respect” all legal processes to take their due course with regard to the investigation into Makwakwa.

Sars also complained that the media has failed to recognise its achievements.

“For two consecutive years, 2014-‘15 and 2015-‘16, Sars managed to outperform the economy - crowned by the collection of the historical amount of over R1-trillion revenue in the 2015-‘16 financial year.”

Other “achievements” included the fact that Sars’ revenue collections “contributed to South Africa avoiding a ratings agency downgrade” and outperformed economic growth.

The Revenue Services ascribed its accomplishments to its new operating model that brought about an additional R12-billion in the first six months after its implementation.

“It is therefore without substance to create a caricature of Sars that it is falling apart or breaking if we take into account the results achieved by Sars under the leadership of the commissioner,” the statement said.

Sars further claims that staff morale is “at its highest peak”, contrary to a report in Financial Mail saying Sars staff members loyal to finance minister Pravin Gordhan and former deputy commissioner Ivan Pillay either resigned, got shifted sideways or, in some cases, have no work to do.

In its statement the Revenue Service also kept mum on allegations of a breakdown in relationship with Gordhan.