N$5.8m theft case postponed
The matter of Peter Kohler, a South African national accused of millions in fraud will continue on 6 February.
The trial of the South African national who allegedly stole N$5.8 million from his Namibian employer Pennypinchers Timbercity is still not ready.
The defence lawyer Miese Tjituri, appearing on behalf of Peter Tyran Kohler, is expected to file answering statements on the state's allegations on Thursday next week while the case was postponed to 6 February for further case management.
Kohler is facing 218 fraud charges or alternative counts of theft in the Windhoek High Court.
He allegedly committed this offence while he was employed by the Gunnar Jensen Building Materials Trust trading as Pennypinchers Timbercity during the period of 23 March 2009 to 7 February 2013 as the store accountant.
He was then employed by the Chris Eloff Building Materials Trust trading as Ongwediva Pennypinchers Timbercity as the store operator (manager) from 8 March 2013 until 10 September 2015 from where he continued to perform his store accountant duties in Windhoek until 30 September 2013.
According to the summary of substantial facts, at all material times he was, among others, tasked with the supervision of all accounting, financial, human resource, administrative and relevant compliance duties relating to Pennypinchers Timbercity Windhoek located in the Southern Industrial Area, as well as the Ongwediva Pennypinchers Timbercity, either through cheques, cash or in the form of electronic fund transfers and the accurate, complete and timeous recording and reporting thereof.
His financial responsibilities included among others the capturing and authorisation of bona fide company expense payments.
The accused had the user rights to capture and authorise electronic fund transfers from the Pennypinchers Timbercity Windhoek account at FNB and Ongwediva Pennypinchers Timbercity bank account, also at FNB.
It is said that he during the period 9 October 2009 to 9 July 2015 used his position at Pennypinchers Timbercity to unlawfully and fraudulently transfer through the company accounts at FNB the amount of N$5.8 million to either one of his personal bank accounts at Bank Windhoek and ABSA, which monies he stole.
Kohler is now facing charges of fraud (alternatively theft), following his arrest on 10 September 2015. The state alleges that he defrauded the company by transferring money into his personal account instead of the company's account.
He is currently in custody after he was denied bail due to the fact that he is a foreign national facing a fraud case involving millions, therefore the risk of absconding exists.
During his bail hearing almost two years ago, Kohler testified that he was married with three children and came to Namibia six years ago.
The state is represented by Advocate Antonia Verhoef with Judge Christie Liebenberg presiding.
FRED GOEIEMAN
The defence lawyer Miese Tjituri, appearing on behalf of Peter Tyran Kohler, is expected to file answering statements on the state's allegations on Thursday next week while the case was postponed to 6 February for further case management.
Kohler is facing 218 fraud charges or alternative counts of theft in the Windhoek High Court.
He allegedly committed this offence while he was employed by the Gunnar Jensen Building Materials Trust trading as Pennypinchers Timbercity during the period of 23 March 2009 to 7 February 2013 as the store accountant.
He was then employed by the Chris Eloff Building Materials Trust trading as Ongwediva Pennypinchers Timbercity as the store operator (manager) from 8 March 2013 until 10 September 2015 from where he continued to perform his store accountant duties in Windhoek until 30 September 2013.
According to the summary of substantial facts, at all material times he was, among others, tasked with the supervision of all accounting, financial, human resource, administrative and relevant compliance duties relating to Pennypinchers Timbercity Windhoek located in the Southern Industrial Area, as well as the Ongwediva Pennypinchers Timbercity, either through cheques, cash or in the form of electronic fund transfers and the accurate, complete and timeous recording and reporting thereof.
His financial responsibilities included among others the capturing and authorisation of bona fide company expense payments.
The accused had the user rights to capture and authorise electronic fund transfers from the Pennypinchers Timbercity Windhoek account at FNB and Ongwediva Pennypinchers Timbercity bank account, also at FNB.
It is said that he during the period 9 October 2009 to 9 July 2015 used his position at Pennypinchers Timbercity to unlawfully and fraudulently transfer through the company accounts at FNB the amount of N$5.8 million to either one of his personal bank accounts at Bank Windhoek and ABSA, which monies he stole.
Kohler is now facing charges of fraud (alternatively theft), following his arrest on 10 September 2015. The state alleges that he defrauded the company by transferring money into his personal account instead of the company's account.
He is currently in custody after he was denied bail due to the fact that he is a foreign national facing a fraud case involving millions, therefore the risk of absconding exists.
During his bail hearing almost two years ago, Kohler testified that he was married with three children and came to Namibia six years ago.
The state is represented by Advocate Antonia Verhoef with Judge Christie Liebenberg presiding.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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