WINDHOEK – A man who allegedly swindled at least 10 desperate accommodation seekers who made rental deposits with him appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Iipinge Nikanor Tunyanyukweni already appeared on a charge of theft by false pretences before Magistrate Justine Asino when minutes later he was again summoned in the witness box on other charges related to the rental scam.
The state alleges Tunyanyukweni placed adverts in various newspapers in which he offered non-existent places for rent to unsuspecting room and house seekers.
When interested tenants phoned him he told them that he had a lot of interest and that if they paid a deposit into his account he would reserve the place for them.
Once he received notification from the bank on the deposit he switched off his phone and got a new number and the scam started all over again, charged the state.
After Tunyanyukweni was called for the second time State Prosecutor Samantha Diergaardt informed Asino that the two cases would be joined and asked that the previous matter be withdrawn and added to the second charge.
Asino granted the request and informed Tunyanyukweni accordingly.
Tunyanyukweni informed Asino that he fired the lawyer that represented him in the first case and was in contact with Hennie Barnard who would represent him forthwith.
The matter was then postponed to May 19 for further investigations and Tunyanyukweni was remanded in custody.
By Roland Routh