Estate lawyer charged with fraud appears before High Court

WINDHOEK, 21 SEP – A local estate administrator who stands accused of fraud and embezzling funds from inheritance he was entrusted to administer on behalf of the beneficiaries, made his first appearance in the High Court here on Thursday.
The 42-year-old Mervin Kozonguizi appeared before High Court Judge Christie Liebenberg during a pre-trial conference of case management review.
The case was postponed to 18 October 2018 to allow him time to consult and instruct his former privately-instructed defence lawyer, Orben Sibeya, to again represent him during the trial in the High Court.
Kozonguizi is free on bail of N.dollars 100 000 and his bail was extended until his next appearance.
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’s estates registered at the Master of the High Court on behalf of beneficiaries.
He was arrested on 15 January 2018 by investigators attached to the Anti-Corruption Commission after the alleged fraud was uncovered.
State Advocate Dominic Lisulo is handling the prosecution’s case.
NAMPA