SWAKOPMUND – The partner of Dutch national Roland Masolijn, who was fatally shot in Swakopmund last year, Makreta Horases may have her assets forfeited to the state due to her failure to file an application for legal aid or oppose the preservation of property order filed by prosecutor general Martha Imalwa.
Imalwa applied for the preservation of property order in terms of Section 51 of the Prevention of Organised Crime (POCA) Act 29 of 2004, as she believed the assets had allegedly been acquired through criminal ways.
A provisional property preservation order, initially granted on 17 July, was extended until 11 October by Judge Esi Schimming-Chase after Horases requested time to secure legal representation.
However, court documents filed on Wednesday show that Horases had not filed her application for legal aid or an acknowledgement, nor did she file a notice opposing the confirmation of the order.
In her application, Imalwa has requested the court to issue a property preservation order for funds in two of Horases’ bank accounts, money in a trust account held by the law firm Dr Weder, Kauta & Hoveka Inc, and N$2 000 in cash seized by the police when Masolijn was murdered in Swakopmund last year.
Masolijn was killed in June 2022 in front of a house he rented with Horases in Swakopmund.
He was busy washing his car when he was shot dead in broad daylight.
Imalwa stated in her affidavit that a preservation order, according to POCA, is required before she can apply to have assets forfeited to the state.
She also alleges that the money in the various accounts belonging to Horases is the result of unlawful activities, specifically drug dealing and money laundering.
The PG submitted that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the funds in Horases’ accounts are the proceeds of money laundering offences.
“Nampol, during the murder investigation of Masolijn, conducted a search of the Ford Raptor registered in Horases’ name. During the search, Nampol found 500 grams of cocaine powder, valued at N$300 000, inside the Ford Raptor.
The investigation further established that Masolijn purchased the vehicle by giving cash to different individuals to either make a cash deposit,” said Imalwa.
She further said investigations revealed that the vehicle was registered in Horases’ name.
Imalwa explained that during the police investigation, Horases explained that Masolijn always made use of her Nampost and FNB bank accounts, as he was not a citizen of Namibia.
“After selling his products (chilli bites, meat and sausages) with his partner, Mr Lawrence, he gave her money in cash for her to deposit into her Nampost and FNB accounts,” the prosecutor general stated.
Horases subsequently sold the vehicle for N$650 000 in April.
Just two days after this transaction, she transferred N$340 000 into a trust account of Dr Weder, Kauta & Hoveka Inc. as the final payment for a property she was purchasing in Swakopmund.
According to Imalwa, the law firm reported receiving a total of N$940 000 into its trust account for the property purchase by Horases.
-edeklerk@nepc.com.na