Maria Amakali
WINDHOEK – The Windhoek Magistrate’s Court last week gave a final remand for the Prosecutor General to pronounce herself in a case in which Multi-Choice was allegedly defrauded of N$2 million.
Former marketing manager at the television company, Manga Nawa-Mukena (37), and Celestino Gabriel Antonio (37), are at the centre of the fraud allegations. Making an appearance before Magistrate Samunzala Samunzala, Mukena and her co-accused were informed that the Prosecutor General (PG) has not yet pronounced herself on the case.
The PG has to decide whether the pair would have to stand trial, what charges they are to face and where they would be prosecuted.
Nawa-Mukena and her co-accused are facing charges of fraud, forgery and uttering. The two denied guilt when they took the stand during their preliminary pleas. All charges emanate from what the prosecution deems as an unlawful falsification of 80 invoices between April 1, 2013, and March 17, 2017.
Nawa-Mukena and Antonio are accused of working in cahoots when they allegedly falsified advertising invoices to the tune of N$2 million. The charge sheet states that knowingly they falsified invoices giving an impression that local newspaper, Kundana (PTY) Ltd, provided advertising services to MultiChoice Namibia.
The charge sheet further states, “The accused did then and by means of false pretence induce Roger Gertze and/or MultiChoice to the actual loss or prejudice of MultiChoice to pay N$2,088,071”.
The pair allegedly defrauded the company by presenting the falsified invoices enticing the company to pay for services that were never rendered. They allegedly presented their own banking details as that of Kundana (PTY) Ltd for the payment.
Nawa-Mukena and Antonio, who are out on bail of N$50,000 and N$25,000, respectively, were warned to make an appearance in court on May 18 for the Prosecutor General’s decision.