Staff Reporter
THE Prosecutor General has brought forth an application for a confiscation order to be made for any realisable property or assets against a married couple, Amanda Jantjies, 58, and her husband, Barnard Jantjies, 60, in relation to a fraud case wherein transport company Ekonolux was defrauded of N$9.9 million.
The application was brought in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, with the confiscation order seeking to deprive wrongdoers of deriving a benefit from their ill-gotten gains.
The couple have, however, not opposed the confiscation order brought against them, as they allege that they have no assets to be confiscated.
The State alleged that Amanda abused her position of trust by making unauthorised payments from Ekonolux’s bank account into her own account, her husband’s account and their company, Bareli Building Services CC. The payments were allegedly disguised as legitimate transactions to clients and suppliers, allowing the scheme to continue for several years before it was uncovered.
The couple were convicted after admitting to hundreds of charges linked to the misappropriation of approximately N$9.98 million from transport company Ekonolux between January 2014 and November 2018. Amanda was sentenced to 18 years, of which four years were suspended, whilst her husband, Bernard, was sentenced to 14 years, of which five years were suspended.
Tracing the money trail, the Prosecutor General said that the money was splurged on gambling as well as personal expenses.
According to Mariane Herholdt, who is employed by Avani Windhoek Hotel and Casino as the Surveillance Manager, Amanda Jantjies was a casino member from 20 January 2017 until 14 June 2019, and she incurred gambling losses amounting to N$129,445.72. Her husband, Bernard, was a casino member from 27 January 2014 until 16 June 2019, and he incurred gambling losses amounting to N$1,029,575.82.
Her daughter, who also received some of the ill-gotten funds without her knowledge, is said to have made losses of N$106,795.53.
Amanda’s daughter, from the period from 1 June 2014 to April 2018, received various deposits of relatively small amounts into her account from the accused.
She could not recall the total amount received and stated that she neither knew nor made any enquiries as to the source of the funds. She used the funds for her personal expenses, including clothing, toiletries, food, and transportation to and from university, as she was a student who remained under her mother’s care at the time.
Photo: File
