Estate administrator Kozonguizi to face fraud charges in High Court

WINDHOEK, 21 AUG  – A local estate administrator who stands accused of embezzling money from an inheritance he was entrusted to administer on behalf of the beneficiaries, will face his fraud charges in the Windhoek High Court.
Mervin Kozonguizi, 42, made another appearance in the Magistrate’s Court in Lüderitz Street on Tuesday, when an order was issued for his fraud case be transferred from the Magistrate’s Court to the High Court as per a decision taken by the Office of the Prosecutor-General over the past few weeks.
The alleged fraudster is scheduled to make his first appearance in the Windhoek High Court on 20 September 2018.
Kozonguizi appeared before Windhoek Magistrate Samunzala Linus Samunzala on Tuesday.
The transfer was effected in the presence of his privately-instructed defence lawyer Orben Sibeya and prosecution representative, Senior Public Prosecutor Rowan van Wyk.
A complete record of the proceedings of the magistrate’s court was also transferred from that court to the Office of the Registrar of the High Court.
Kozonguizi is free on bail of N.dollars 100 000 and his bail was also extended until his next appearance in the High Court on 20 September this year.
Initially, the estate administrator was charged with a count of fraud involving N.dollars 797 359.
However, this amount was later changed to N.dollars 7 097 359.
A summary of substantial facts contained in the indictment has it that Kozonguizi had defrauded the Master of the High Court between 2016 and January 2017 by pretending that he was entitled to receive funds from the estate of the late Gustav Tjiuiju.
It is alleged that Kozonguizi received nearly N.dollars 7.1 million from the estate while he was not entitled to the money.
Furthermore, it is alleged that he had also defrauded the Master of the High Court on 05 December 2015 by pretending that he was entitled to N.dollars 2 million from the estate of the late Yolandi Dorothy Beukes.
Kozonguizi operates under the name Kozonguizi and Associates and administered deceased estates registered at the Master of the High Court on behalf of the beneficiaries.
He was arrested on 15 January 2018 by investigators attached to the Anti-Corruption Commission after the alleged fraud was uncovered.
Local defence lawyer Orben Sibeya is representing the accused.

NAMPA