By Roland Routh
WINDHOEK – The wife of the late Lazarus Kandara, Christophine Kandara, yesterday took the stand in the ongoing theft and fraud trial involving her husband’s company – Avid Investments.
Ms Kandara testified that although she knew little of her husband’s business dealings, he did inform her of his plans to start the company.
She further testified that her late husband did not have bank accounts of his own and made use of bank accounts that were in her name.
“There was a cheque account in my name, but the money in it belonged to my (late) husband,” she told Judge Christi Liebenberg.
She informed the court that she knew all of the accused, except Sharon Blaauw.
She testified that one of the seven accused, Inez / Gases, is her sister-in-law, with whom she grew up.
She further said she knew Paulus Kapia as one of the persons she was supposed to give money to, along with Ralph Blaauw, Otniel Podewiltz and retired Brigadier Mathias Shiweda while she met Nico Josea when he brought her money.
Kapia and his co-accused are charged with theft and fraud as well as contravention of the Companies Act in connection with the botched N$30-million investment from the Social Security Commission (SSC).
Ms Kandara however said on objection from Sisa Namandje that she only knew Kapia as Kapia and not in his personal capacity or as a member of Avid. She said she only came to realise later that the Kapia involved was Paulus Kapia – through media reports.
Namandje made an issue of this by repeatedly asking Ms Kandara whether his client was identified as Paulus Ilonga Kapia or just Kapia. According to Ms Kandara, her husband whom she said travelled extensively to and from South Africa informed her during a telephone conversation that Josea would bring her some money, some of which she had to hand over to Blaauw, Podewiltz and Shiweda.
Ms Kandara told the court that one Saturday during February/March – she was not sure of the month – Josea came to her house.
According to her she did not know him at that stage, but her husband called her from South Africa and told her about him.
She said that when he arrived she opened the gate and the garage door for him and he drove in. She said he opted to stay in the garage, as he would be more comfortable there and instructed her to close all the doors of the garage.
After she complied, Josea produced a bag of money and proceeded to count it in front of her, Ms Kandara told the court.
She said the bag contained between N$220 000 and N$240 000, which was what the late Kandara said there would be, although she could not give the exact amount.
She said that Josea then asked her to sign some documents, but she was reluctant as she saw an amount of N$300 000 reflected on the documents. Josea however persuaded her with promises that it was only for his bookkeeping purposes and she signed.
She told the court that during a previous telephone conversation her husband informed her that “certain guys” would come and collect money from her and that she must give them N$40 000 each.
About 5 to 10 minutes after Josea left, she said, Ralph Blaauw and Podewiltz arrived together and she handed them N$40 000 each.
She further said after they counted the money she took another N$40 000 which she had with her and handed it to Ralph Blaauw to hand to Kapia.
At that stage Namandje again objected to the mention of his client’s name and insisted Kapia was not mentioned in person and that it could have been any Kapia and not necessarily his client.
Ms Kandara further testified Podewiltz and Shiweda arrived together at her residence the next morning and she handed Shiweda his share of N$40 000. The case continues.