A woman accused of defrauding a private school in Windhoek of more than N$2,8 million is due to be extradited from South Africa tomorrow, the Namibian Police have announced.
Maria Johanna Coetzee is expected to arrive back in Namibia at Hosea Kutako International Airport tomorrow, police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi said yesterday.
Coetzee (52) was charged with 18 counts of fraud, alternatively 18 counts of theft and a charge of money laundering before she failed to appear in the Windhoek High Court for a pretrial hearing in May 2020.
The court was later informed that Coetzee, who was free on bail of N$10 000, was traced in Pretoria, South Africa, after she left Namibia.
Coetzee is accused of defrauding Windhoek International School, where she was employed as financial manager, by paying more than N$2,8 million from a bank account of the school to three bank accounts in her own name.
The state is alleging that Coetzee tried to transfer a total amount of about N$3,38 million from the school’s account to her own accounts, but that six of the transactions she tried to carry out were declined. She successfully transferred N$2,8 million to her accounts, it is alleged.
The fraud or theft and money laundering were committed from March to October 2018, the state is alleging.
Coetzee was granted bail in March 2019.
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