13 fraud suspects behind bars

13 fraud suspects behind barsThree more added to charge sheet More arrests are likely as an investigation into tax fraud at Walvis Bay continues. The number of people charged in connection with corruption at the Inland Revenue Department in Walvis Bay now stands at 13.

More arrests are likely as the investigation continues.

The accused allegedly defrauded the government of N$2 220 781 between 1 April 2013 and November 2016.

Jeannette Garoes (42), Lukas Shailemo (29) and Anna Marie Mutilifa (50) were added to the charge sheet yesterday.

Magistrate Rhivermo Wiliams denied bail due to the seriousness of the offence and postponed the case to 10 January.

Garoes and Mutilifa, who worked at the Inland Revenue Department in Walvis Bay, informed the court that they would appoint private lawyers, while Shailemo opted to apply for legal aid.

Garoes surrendered to the police in Walvis Bay on Tuesday while the other two accused were arrested on Wednesday.

The other accused, who appeared before court earlier, are: Morne Ferris (21), Henry Visagie (36) - also an employee at Inland Revenue, Jacqueline Imbili (44), Willemina Visagie (36), Quinton Matthews (42), Marlon Pins (35), Roselli Leonardo (70), Michael Maclobo (40), Venancio Muller (38) and Patrick Titus (44).

“Rosseli is an Italian national. More than N$900 000 was discovered in his bank account and it appears as if he was blackmailed to cooperate by the fraudsters,” Erongo Police Commissioner Andreas Nelumbu said.

“The forensic investigation continues and the possibility that businesses were involved exists but I don't believe this might be the case.

“We have not recovered any of the missing money since the accused withdrew it from the bank accounts of various collaborators as soon as it was deposited.”

Nelumbu called on others involved in the case, and who have not yet been contacted by the police, to come forward. He warned that those who were unwilling to cooperate would eventually be arrested. The first group of accused, who were arrested on 27 and 28 December in Walvis Bay, appeared before Magistrate Vicky Nicolaidis last week. She denied them bail due to the serious nature of the offence and because they might interfere with the ongoing investigation.

It is alleged that three of the accused, who are employed at the Inland Revenue Department of the Ministry of Finance in Walvis Bay, created fake Pay As You Earn (PAYE5) certificates using the names of approximately 21 accomplices (friends and relatives). They then made tax refunds which were subsequently detected by the ministry's Security and Risk Management team.



LEANDREA LOUW & OTIS FINCK