Convicts in Avid/SSC fraud saga face sentencing Thursday

WINDHOEK, 04 JUL  – The five people found guilty in May this year in the N.dollars 30 million Avid Investment and Social Security Commission (SSC) fraud scandal, will be sentenced in the High Court here on Thursday.
They are former Deputy Minister of Works, Transport and Communication, Paulus Kapia; Avid Investment administrative secretary Inez //Gases; former Acting Secretary-General of the National Youth Council, Ralph Blaauw; his wife Sharon Blaauw and Windhoek businessman and Chief Executive Officer of Namangol Asset Management, Nico Josea.
High Court Judge Christie Liebenberg on 11 May 2018 found Kapia, //Gases and Ralph Blaauw guilty on the main charge of fraud for their involvement in getting the money out of the SSC after the little-known Avid Asset Management had secured the investment with the State-owned company.
The trio was, however, acquitted on the charge of theft, corruption and contravention of the provisions of the amended Companies Act of 2004.
Windhoek-based defence lawyer Sharon Blaauw was only found guilty of contravening the provisions of the amended Companies Act of 2004, for having signed a number of documentations without properly reading its contents.
She was acquitted on the remaining charges.
Josea was found guilty on a charge of theft and contravention of the provisions of the amended Companies Act of 2004 on the grounds that after the N. dollars 30 million was transferred from the SSC bank account at First National Bank of Namibia to the business account of Namangol, he started allocating the money to several persons and business entities.
Josea was discharged on the main count of fraud.
Labour ministry official and lawyer, Otniel Podewiltz as well as Retired Namibian Defence Force Brigadier, Mathias Shiweda were found not guilty of any wrongdoing and were all set free.
Kapia, //Gases and the Blaauws had their bail of N.dollars 10 000 each reinstated as per a request by their defence lawyers.
Josea, however, remains in custody at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility’s holding cells after the court refused to entertain his request for the reinstatement of bail.
Sisa Namandje appeared for Kapia and Petrie Theron for //Gases, while Gilroy Kasper represented the Blaauws and freed Podewiltz.
Slysken Makando appeared for Josea and Attorney Jan Wessels represented acquitted Shiweda.
Deputy Prosecutor-General Ed Marondedze assisted by State Advocates Cliff Lutibezi and Salomon Kanyemba appeared for the prosecution.
Judge Liebenberg, who presided over the protracted fraud trial, is scheduled to hand down the sentences in the matter.
NAMPA