SSC fraud suspects back in the dock again

THE close to 60 people arrested and charged in connection with an alleged fraud scheme at the Social Security Commission last year will be asked to plead to the charges against them when they make their next court appearance in July, they were told yesterday.

Fifty-five charged people made a first joint appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura in connection with the alleged fraud in late January. With their second joint appearance in court yesterday, the ranks of the accused had swelled to 59.The 59 are accused of having defrauded the SSC of some N$377 800.The SSC announced in early November that it had “uncovered fraudulent activities carried out by one of its staff members”, who was identified as Maxwell Elrico Spanneberg, who is now the first accused person in the case against the 59.According to the SSC, Spanneberg was employed in the Registry Division at the SSC’s head office in Windhoek, and it is suspected that he used the computer passwords of other staff members to lodge, process and authorise fraudulent sick leave claims.Spanneberg was suspended on August 30 last year, when a full-scale investigation of his alleged activities was ordered.The SSC dismissed him on November 2, after he had been found guilty of misconduct following a disciplinary hearing, the SSC said.Spanneberg was arrested and charged criminally 10 days later.He spent a month in Police custody before he was granted bail of N$15 000.It is suspected that Spanneberg used his position at the SSC to process false claims amounting to around N$377 800 and that these claims were then paid out in the names of the people who have been charged as his co-accused.The proceeds of this scheme were then allegedly shared by Spanneberg and the other suspects.At Public Prosecutor OJ Lino’s request, Magistrate Desmond Beukes yesterday postponed the case against the 59 to July 13.Lino told the court that on that date, the accused would be asked to plead to the charges that will be drawn up against them in the meantime.Spanneberg also asked the Magistrate to alter his bail conditions.A requirement that he has to report to the Police twice a day was changed to require him to report only every Monday and Friday morning.Another condition that in effect placed him under house arrest each night by forbidding him from leaving his house between 19h00 and 05h00 each day was also scrapped on Spanneberg’s request.All of the charged suspects remain free on bail.Warrants were issued for the arrest of two of the accused who were not present at court yesterday.They are Ebson Beukes and Khomasdal resident Valerie Feris (46), who were joined to the case in late February.Also joined to the ranks of the accused after the January court appearance were Dionisu Uyepa (42) and Erastus Johannes (27).Johannes was added to the case on May 23.With their second joint appearance in court yesterday, the ranks of the accused had swelled to 59.The 59 are accused of having defrauded the SSC of some N$377 800.The SSC announced in early November that it had “uncovered fraudulent activities carried out by one of its staff members”, who was identified as Maxwell Elrico Spanneberg, who is now the first accused person in the case against the 59.According to the SSC, Spanneberg was employed in the Registry Division at the SSC’s head office in Windhoek, and it is suspected that he used the computer passwords of other staff members to lodge, process and authorise fraudulent sick leave claims.Spanneberg was suspended on August 30 last year, when a full-scale investigation of his alleged activities was ordered.The SSC dismissed him on November 2, after he had been found guilty of misconduct following a disciplinary hearing, the SSC said.Spanneberg was arrested and charged criminally 10 days later.He spent a month in Police custody before he was granted bail of N$15 000.It is suspected that Spanneberg used his position at the SSC to process false claims amounting to around N$377 800 and that these claims were then paid out in the names of the people who have been charged as his co-accused.The proceeds of this scheme were then allegedly shared by Spanneberg and the other suspects.At Public Prosecutor OJ Lino’s request, Magistrate Desmond Beukes yesterday postponed the case against the 59 to July 13.Lino told the court that on that date, the accused would be asked to plead to the charges that will be drawn up against them in the meantime.Spanneberg also asked the Magistrate to alter his bail conditions.A requirement that he has to report to the Police twice a day was changed to require him to report only every Monday and Friday morning.Another condition that in effect placed him under house arrest each night by forbidding him from leaving his house between 19h00 and 05h00 each day was also scrapped on Spanneberg’s request.All of the charged suspects remain free on bail.Warrants were issued for the arrest of two of the accused who were not present at court yesterday.They are Ebson Beukes and Khomasdal resident Valerie Feris (46), who were joined to the case in late February.Also joined to the ranks of the accused after the January court appearance were Dionisu Uyepa (42) and Erastus Johannes (27).Johannes was added to the case on May 23.