Car dealer accused of ‘massive’ fraud

THE owner of the secondhand car dealership, Jan Kritz Motors in Windhoek, is said to have swindled at least seven people out of about N$3 million, after they entrusted him to sell their vehicles.

Theuns Hanekom is suspected of having fled to South Africa a week ago after failing to settle the hire purchase agreements on behalf of his clients whose cars he sold. However, this could not be confirmed by the Police.Police spokesperson, Sergeant James Matengu, said yesterday that several complaints had been lodged with the Police, but as of yet not enough evidence had been provided to formulate charges.The Namibian encountered an empty showroom yesterday, after salesmen had called clients on Friday to fetch about 16 vehicles from the shop floor, which they were trying to sell.”I owe the bank money, and I don’t have the car any more,” said one distressed customer who had allegedly been cheated by Hanekom.”There should be better control over these things by the bank and Natis,” he added.In April, Jan Kritz Motors sold one woman’s Volkswagen Combi to the National Theatre of Namibia.She received a cheque from the car dealership for her share of the profits.The dealership, she was assured, would settle her hire purchase.But this week, after she had already bought another car, her bank informed her that her account for the sold vehicle was in arrears.She owes the bank N$86 000.Staff of Jan Kritz Motors who The Namibian spoke to yesterday said that this client was one of at least seven they know of that have been duped in recent weeks.But they claim only to have smelt a rat of Hanekom’s alleged shady dealings about two months ago.When the salesmen were not paid their commission for the cars they had sold at the end of May, they said they realised that all was not above board.”A person feels terrible.He was very unethical towards his staff.We generated the funds for him,” said one employee.Hanekom employed two salesmen, driver, mechanic and a cleaner.He bought the well-known car dealership from Jan Kritzinger a little more than two years ago.He rented the property from the owner of another car dealer, Kaiser Motors.Deon van der Westhuizen confirmed that he had laid a charge against Hanekom on Friday for falling behind in rental payments to the tune of N$25 000.Van der Westhuizen said instead of the N$12 500 Hanekom should have paid in rent, he had only been paying N$10 000.He also failed to pay rent at the end of May.According to staff, Hanekom was seldom at the business in his personal capacity, and his wife ran the show.She informed staff two weeks ago that she was travelling to South Africa where her father had allegedly taken ill.A few days later they spoke to Hanekom himself who said he was at the coast but would be back at the shop last week Monday.”When he wasn’t here by Tuesday and his cell phone was off, we knew something was up.We phoned his wife, but she said he wasn’t with her,” said a staff member.The sales staff claim to know nothing of Hanekom’s arrangements with the banks and whether or not he was settling the hire purchase agreements of the clients whose cars they sold.”We just sold the cars.He did the rest,” said staff.Although business is said to have slowed down in recent months, with only about four cars sold during May, as many as 12 cars were sold in April.Most of these cars were sold at price tags way in excess of N$100 000 each.Staff said yesterday it was difficult to determine how much money he could have gotten away with, but suspect that he had only begun conning clients in recent months.Yesterday they approached the Labour Court to claim what was due to them from the assets attached by the Messenger of the Court on Friday.But staff said there is not much left to the business other than furniture.A bank already fetched computers from the premises last week for outstanding payment.However, this could not be confirmed by the Police.Police spokesperson, Sergeant James Matengu, said yesterday that several complaints had been lodged with the Police, but as of yet not enough evidence had been provided to formulate charges.The Namibian encountered an empty showroom yesterday, after salesmen had called clients on Friday to fetch about 16 vehicles from the shop floor, which they were trying to sell.”I owe the bank money, and I don’t have the car any more,” said one distressed customer who had allegedly been cheated by Hanekom.”There should be better control over these things by the bank and Natis,” he added.In April, Jan Kritz Motors sold one woman’s Volkswagen Combi to the National Theatre of Namibia.She received a cheque from the car dealership for her share of the profits.The dealership, she was assured, would settle her hire purchase.But this week, after she had already bought another car, her bank informed her that her account for the sold vehicle was in arrears.She owes the bank N$86 000.Staff of Jan Kritz Motors who The Namibian spoke to yesterday said that this client was one of at least seven they know of that have been duped in recent weeks.But they claim only to have smelt a rat of Hanekom’s alleged shady dealings about two months ago.When the salesmen were not paid their commission for the cars they had sold at the end of May, they said they realised that all was not above board.”A person feels terrible.He was very unethical towards his staff.We generated the funds for him,” said one employee.Hanekom employed two salesmen, driver, mechanic and a cleaner.He bought the well-known car dealership from Jan Kritzinger a little more than two years ago.He rented the property from the owner of another car dealer, Kaiser Motors.Deon van der Westhuizen confirmed that he had laid a charge against Hanekom on Friday for falling behind in rental payments to the tune of N$25 000.Van der Westhuizen said instead of the N$12 500 Hanekom should have paid in rent, he had only been paying N$10 000.He also failed to pay rent at the end of May.According to staff, Hanekom was seldom at the business in his personal capacity, and his wife ran the show.She informed staff two weeks ago that she was travelling to South Africa where her father had allegedly taken ill.A few days later they spoke to Hanekom himself who said he was at the coast but would be back at the shop last week Monday.”When he wasn’t here by Tuesday and his cell phone was off, we knew something was up.We phoned his wife, but she said he wasn’t with her,” said a staff member.The sales staff claim to know nothing of Hanekom’s arrangements with the banks and whether or not he was settling the hire purchase agreements of the clients whose cars they sold.”We just sold the cars.He did the rest,” said staff.Although business is said to have slowed down in recent months, with only about four cars sold during May, as many as 12 cars were sold in April.Most of these cars were sold at price tags way in excess of N$100 000 each.Staff said yesterday it was difficult to determine how much money he could have gotten away with, but suspect that he had only begun conning clients in recent months.Yesterday they approached the Labour Court to claim what was due to them from the assets attached by the Messenger of the Court on Friday.But staff said there is not much left to the business other than furniture.A bank already fetched computers from the premises last week for outstanding payment.