An accountant charged with committing fraud involving N$82.4 million is due to return to the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court for a next appearance in four cases in January.
The four cases in which accountant Michael Bronkhorst (39) is charged were postponed to 21 January for further investigations to be carried out when Bronkhorst made a court appearance before magistrate Jurina Hochobes yesterday.
Bronkhorst was arrested on two charges of fraud, involving a total amount of N$2.7 million, near the end of June last year.
He was granted bail in an amount of N$50 000 after spending nearly two months in custody.
In December last year, Bronkhorst was again arrested in three separate cases, in which he is charged with fraud involving amounts of N$70.5 million, N$7 million and N$2.2 million, respectively. Bronkhorst was granted bail in amounts of N$30 000 in each of those three cases a day after his arrest.He is charged with five counts of fraud and three counts of money laundering, with the alleged offences claimed to have been committed between June 2017 and August 2020 and in August 2023, March 2024 and June 2024.
Bronkhorst, who is a chartered accountant and businessman, has been facing legal and financial troubles since March last year, when the company Petrichor Capital obtained a provisional order in the Windhoek High Court for the sequestration of his personal estate.
A High Court judge confirmed the provisional sequestration order in April last year.
Petrichor Capital director Heinrich Jansen van Vuuren informed the court in a sworn statement that Bronkhorst has been instrumental in sourcing business for Petrichor, which advances loans to insurance policyholders as part of its business.
Van Vuuren alleged that an “illegal scheme” operated by Bronkhorst started to unravel in March last year, when it was discovered there were various loans with Petrichor Capital that were initiated by Bronkhorst and through which he procured funds for himself.
The loans were in the names of insurance policyholders whose documents were forged by Bronkhorst, Van Vuuren claimed.
He also alleged that Bronkhorst acknowledged that he owed N$103.6 million to Petrichor Capital. Hochobes extended Bronkhorst’s bail when she postponed his cases to 21 January.
Defence lawyer Johan van Vuuren represented Bronkhorst during his court appearance.
Public prosecutor Steven Haradoëb represented the state.
