The lawyer of a woman accused of defrauding a private school in Windhoek of more than N$2.8 million indicated that her client intends pleading guilty to some of the charges she is facing.
Johanna Coetzee (52) pleaded guilty to 13 of the 18 charges she faces yesterday. Her lawyer Janita von Wielligh informed Windhoek High Court Acting Judge Makapa Simasiku a day earlier about the admissions.
The lawyer yesterday read the guilty plea into the record.
On behalf of the defendants, advocate Timo Itula told Judge Simasiku that he was transferred to the Oshakati High Court last week and had to take up his position there. He further explained that he was told to hand over his caseload to a colleague but was advised by his supervisor to continue with that matter as it would take another prosecutor time to familiarise him/herself with the case.
In any event, he told the court that he did not have a chance to consult State witnesses. Judge Simasiku granted the request, and ordered the case to resume today at 9h00.
Coetzee is charged with 18 counts of fraud, alternatively 12 counts of theft, six counts of attempted theft and a charge of money-laundering.
Coetzee, who was free on bail of N$10 000, was arrested in Pretoria, South Africa after she left Namibia while on bail, and was extradited last year. She was granted bail in March 2019, but failed to appear for a scheduled pre-trial hearing.
She is accused of defrauding Windhoek International School, where she was employed as financial manager, by paying more than N$2.8 million from a bank account of the school to three bank accounts in her own name.
The State is alleging that Coetzee had tried to transfer a total amount of N$3.38 million from the school’s account to her own accounts, but six of the transactions she tried to carry out were declined.
The alleged fraud or theft and money-laundering were committed from March to October 2018, the State says. The fraud was discovered on 23 October 2018 by the treasurer of the school board, Francois Aylot.
She allegedly made out irregular and unauthorised electronic fund transfers disguised as legitimate payments to creditors. The transfers that were successful consisted of N$136 518.64 to AFPF; N$495 108.66 to Inland Revenue; N$343 371 to Methealth; N$48 204.12 to Loan Accounts Nedbank; N$14 686.66 to Social Security Commission; N$39 570.55 to City of Windhoek; N$5 770.62 to Bank Windhoek; N$149 017.21 to AFPF; N$341 878 to Methealth; N$536 045.73 to Inland Revenue; N$359 147.15 to Methealth and N$348 200 to Methealth.
None of the payments, however reached their supposed destination, and were instead paid into one of Coetzee’s bank accounts. The unsuccessful transfers were for N$490 234.52 to Inland Revenue; N$6 759.14 to V Hamukoto; N$18 730.34 to K van Rooi; N$9 474.80 to C George-Banda; N$23 963.53 to J Stroh and N$18 369 to S Behrens.