Receipts are up in smoke
One of the two former employees of the then Indo Atlantic, now rebranded as Commercial Investment Corporation (CIC) at Walvis Bay, could not produce copies of the invoices received as proof of payment more than 10 years after the alleged theft.
David Martin Bezuidenhout, the former cigarette sales representative for the company, is facing a host of fraud and theft charges in cigarette sales involving N$2.5 million.
On Monday, in his defence, he told the court that both the receipts he received for sales and the company receipt book were lost over the years.
He conceded during cross-examination by his lawyer Boris Isaack that under such circumstances he does not have any proof of payments to Indo Atlantic that he made from the sales.
The accused further testified that he signed on the customer copy of the sales invoices he made out to them.
He then received the money and handed it over to the receiving clerks of the company.
Bezuidenhout and Venecia Ann Koning, who was employed as administrative clerks issuing invoices, are both accused of fraud and theft, and theft by false pretence.
The two initially faced 36 counts of the same charges but were acquitted on some after a successful application which found that the State did not prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt. Bezuidenhout now appears on 14 charges of fraud, one count of theft and one of theft by false pretence, while his co-accused Koning is facing 37 charges involving fraud, theft, forgery and theft by false pretence.
The State alleges that the two accused acted with a common purpose between the period October 2006 to August 2007 at Walvis Bay, and defrauded Indo Atlantic.
The accusation is that Koning paid cash amounts into accounts of other customers for whom Bezuidenhout had created false invoices for cigarettes that were never delivered.
According to the evidence, he delivered 1 000 packets of Benson and Hedges Special Mild to the Trust Market, while the retailer was invoiced for 3 000 packs.
Another delivery showed he delivered 6 000 packets of Dunhill King Size and 4 000 Peter Stuyvesant to Walvis Bay Self Service while the customer was invoiced for 14 000 packets of Peter Stuyvesant and 16 000 packets of Dunhill.
The State alleges he stole the excess cigarettes, sold them and pocketed the proceeds.
It is further alleged that Bezuidenhoudt defrauded Indo Atlantic's clients listed as Kuiseb Shop 4 Value, Bargosa Wholesalers, Walvis Bay Self Service, Parade Supermarket, Trust Market, Metro Walvis Bay, Metro Swakopmund, Shoprite U Save, Shoprite/Checkers Walvis Bay, Sentra Portuguese Market, Spar North Rand Henties and Shoprite Swakopmund.
Bezuidenhout explained that normally on demand he would deliver the requested consignment, it would be picked up at the specific shop and he would take the cash from the sale.
The trial continues before Judge Alfred Siboleka.
Advocate Simba Nduna appears for State while the lawyer Titus Ipumbu is in defence of Koning.
FRED GOEIEMAN
David Martin Bezuidenhout, the former cigarette sales representative for the company, is facing a host of fraud and theft charges in cigarette sales involving N$2.5 million.
On Monday, in his defence, he told the court that both the receipts he received for sales and the company receipt book were lost over the years.
He conceded during cross-examination by his lawyer Boris Isaack that under such circumstances he does not have any proof of payments to Indo Atlantic that he made from the sales.
The accused further testified that he signed on the customer copy of the sales invoices he made out to them.
He then received the money and handed it over to the receiving clerks of the company.
Bezuidenhout and Venecia Ann Koning, who was employed as administrative clerks issuing invoices, are both accused of fraud and theft, and theft by false pretence.
The two initially faced 36 counts of the same charges but were acquitted on some after a successful application which found that the State did not prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt. Bezuidenhout now appears on 14 charges of fraud, one count of theft and one of theft by false pretence, while his co-accused Koning is facing 37 charges involving fraud, theft, forgery and theft by false pretence.
The State alleges that the two accused acted with a common purpose between the period October 2006 to August 2007 at Walvis Bay, and defrauded Indo Atlantic.
The accusation is that Koning paid cash amounts into accounts of other customers for whom Bezuidenhout had created false invoices for cigarettes that were never delivered.
According to the evidence, he delivered 1 000 packets of Benson and Hedges Special Mild to the Trust Market, while the retailer was invoiced for 3 000 packs.
Another delivery showed he delivered 6 000 packets of Dunhill King Size and 4 000 Peter Stuyvesant to Walvis Bay Self Service while the customer was invoiced for 14 000 packets of Peter Stuyvesant and 16 000 packets of Dunhill.
The State alleges he stole the excess cigarettes, sold them and pocketed the proceeds.
It is further alleged that Bezuidenhoudt defrauded Indo Atlantic's clients listed as Kuiseb Shop 4 Value, Bargosa Wholesalers, Walvis Bay Self Service, Parade Supermarket, Trust Market, Metro Walvis Bay, Metro Swakopmund, Shoprite U Save, Shoprite/Checkers Walvis Bay, Sentra Portuguese Market, Spar North Rand Henties and Shoprite Swakopmund.
Bezuidenhout explained that normally on demand he would deliver the requested consignment, it would be picked up at the specific shop and he would take the cash from the sale.
The trial continues before Judge Alfred Siboleka.
Advocate Simba Nduna appears for State while the lawyer Titus Ipumbu is in defence of Koning.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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