Maria Amakali WINDHOEK - Investigations into the case of an estate administrator accused of embezzling more than N$7 million from a deceased estate he was handling are yet to be completed. Making his mandatory appearance before Magistrate Walter Mikiti in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, Mervin Kozonguizi, 42, was informed that investigations have not yet been finalised. The prosecution charges Kozonguizi with two counts of fraud in connection with the alleged embezzlement of inheritance funds. All the charges are in contravention of the Anti-Corruption Act. Kozonguizi was arrested on January 15 following investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and was released on N$100,000 bail upon his first appearance in court. The prosecution alleges that in 2005 while Kozonguizi was employed as an estate administrator at Kozonguizi & Associates, he intentionally defrauded the Master of the High Court. He allegedly blind-sided the Master of the High Court that he was entitled to funds from a deceased estate he was administering. Court documents indicate that Kozonguizi received N$2 million from the estate of the late Yolandi Dorothy Beukes. The prosecution states that Kozonguizi knew well that he was not entitled to the money. The second charge of fraud emanates from a period between 2016 and January 2017. The prosecution charges that Kozonguizi once more intentionally defrauded the Master of the High Court. He allegedly induced the court that he was entitled to funds from an estate he was handling while employed at Kozonguizi & Associates. Kozonguizi supposedly got N$7.09 million from the estate of late Gustav Tjiuiju. The prosecution charges that Kozonguizi, just like in 2005, knew fully well that the funds from the estate he was handling were not entitled to him, thus committing the offence of fraud. Magistrate Makiti postponed the case to give ample time for police investigations. Kozonguizi is scheduled to make an appearance in court on August 21. The court extended his bail.
New Era Reporter
2018-06-05 09:56:13 5 months ago
