N$2.5m fraud case in court todayThe fraud case involving more than N$2.5 million against the two former employees of then Indo Atlantic, now rebranded as the CIC, at Walvis Bay has been remanded to today for the continuation of trial.
The two, Dawid Martin Bezuidenhout, a former cigarette sales representative for the company, and Venecia Ann Koning, who was employed as an administrative clerk issuing invoices, are being accused of fraud and theft, and theft by false pretence. They initially faced 36 counts of the same charges but were acquitted on some of them after a successful application which found that the State did not prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt. Bezuidenhout appears on 14 charges of fraud, one count of theft and one of theft by false pretence while his co-accused Koning is facing 37 charges involving fraud, theft, forgery and theft by false pretence. The State alleges that the two accused acted with a common purpose between the period October 2006 to 20 August 2007 at Walvis Bay, and defrauded Indo Atlantic. According to the State, Koning paid cash amounts into accounts of other customers for whom Bezuidenhout had created false invoices for cigarettes that were never delivered. According to the evidence, he delivered 1 000 packets of Benson and Hedges Special Mild while the small retailer, Trust Market, was invoiced for 3 000 packs. Another delivery showed he delivered 6 000 packs of Dunhill King Size and 4 000 Peter Stuyvesant to Walvis Bay Self Service while the customer was invoiced for 14 000 packs of Peter Stuyvesant and 16 000 packs of Dunhill. According to the State, he stole the excess cigarettes, sold them and pocketed the proceeds. The State alleges that Bezuidenhoudt defrauded customers, which included, Kuiseb Shop 4 Value, Bargosa Wholesalers, Walvis Bay Self Service, Parade Supermarket, Trust Market, Metro Walvis Bay, Metro Swakopmund, Shoprite U Save, Shoprite/Checkers Walvis Bay, Sentra Portuguese Market, Spar North Rand Henties and Shoprite Swakopmund. Judge Alfred Siboleka postponed to today for trial. Advocate Simba Nduna appears for State while the lawyers Titus Ipumbu and Boris Isaack are appearing for the accused.
FRED GOEIEMAN