THE caring and generous ways of Nico Josea – the man who through his company Namangol Investments received N$29,5 million from the N$30 million Avid Investments secured from the Social Security Commission – was brought to the attention of the High Court yesterday.
SSC legal counsel Andrew Corbett called Peter Boonzaaier and John Smith (both unemployed), to testify how collectively they had spent more than half a million dollars they had received from Josea in recent months. Both Boonzaaier and Smith were at pains to stress that it was hardly unusual for Josea to help fellow “brothers” from the Voice of God Tabernacle who were in financial distress – but both denied knowing any details of any of Josea’s dealings at any of his companies.It emerged that Josea had on occasion given as much as N$283 000 to his church.Testimony from Boonzaaier and Smith at the Companies Act inquiry into the botched SSC investment before Judge Raymond Heathcote followed that of 24-year-old Heinrich Helm, who struggled to recount to the court how he had spent in five weeks the N$500 000 Josea had given him as compensation for never having received a salary as a former Namangol CEO.Boonzaaier, who two years ago was accused of receiving more than N$3,5 million in kickbacks for insurance deals he brokered with the SSC, told the court yesterday that the hearings had ruined him as an individual as well as his business.”Since 2003, the commission just messed up my business.I lost clients,” he told the court, saying that without the inquiry having made a public announcement on the outcome, he was left to face the rumours around town about his involvement.According to records before the court, Boonzaaier received a cheque of N$183 000 from Josea on February 4 – only days after the N$29,5 million was paid to his company Namangol.But Boonzaaier surprised the court by telling it that since the beginning of the year he had also received cash from Josea – bringing the total amount received from Josea to around N$480 000.Boonzaaier said he had met Josea in 1995, when Josea “converted” and joined the Voice of God Tabernacle.Since the SSC Commission of Inquiry, Boonzaaier said he had not been able to make a living, and he had lost most of his property.He said he approached Josea in January for a loan to pay his debts.These included a bill of N$87 000 for a month’s stay for him and his family at the Kalahari Sands Hotel, paying N$50 000 to Lorentz and Bone Attorneys for debts to Old Mutual as well as trying to get his office up and running again.”The moment I’m in a position, I will repay him.We are in the same church.We see each other two to three times a week,” said Boonzaaier to a question of what repayment plan he had agreed to with Josea.But as down and out as Boonzaaier claimed to be, he did not hesitate to help others in need, and he maintained he gave N$10 000 to a certain Paul Ockhuizen – said to be a resident of Windhoek’s upmarket Ludwigsdorf suburb.Boonzaaier claimed not to have anything left of the loan he received from Josea, saying he was still heavily indebted and struggling to get back into business.He said he had given his BMW X5 vehicle to Office Economix to cover debts to the office furniture shop.After struggling to recount exactly how all the money had been spent, Heathcote threatened to put him in the court’s holding cell for two hours until he “remembered”.Boonzaaier was then allowed time to return to his office to fetch a breakdown of his expenditure.”I get a bit agitated and maybe I’m wrong.But I get agitated when people can’t remember what they did with their cash three days after Avid was paid N$30 million,” said Heathcote.”There might be no connection, but I get agitated if people can’t explain.”Boonzaaier returned after lunch to recount how he had spent about N$480 000 Josea had given him.Among the payments were to property agents for renting accommodation, buying household items, paying his phone bills, his secretary and storage facilities.Another “brother” Josea had shown his kindness to was John Smith, who received N$100 000 in March when he resigned his job as the Administration Manager at retail trader Game.He, too, said he had met Josea in 1995 when he joined the Voice of God church.Smith said before his voluntary resignation from Game in March where he had only worked for seven months, he had received a gross salary of N$18 000 a month.Shortly afterwards, he approached Josea for a loan to provide for his family.”We are very close.We [people in the church] knew he was doing very well.We admire him.He’s driving a Prado [vehicle] and has a nice house.We supported him.We still support him,” said Smith.Smith said he recalled having received the money from Josea’s wife, after he took Josea to the airport to catch a plane abroad around March 18.From the loan he paid a mechanic shop N$30 000 and Helm (who had received N$500 000 from Josea the month before) N$10 000.Smith pledged that if it was proven that the money lent to him was indeed part of the Avid/Namangol deal, he would repay it, as he had an investment which had grown to N$250 000, and he also planned to sell his house.Both Boonzaaier and Smith were at pains to stress that it was hardly unusual for Josea to help fellow “brothers” from the Voice of God Tabernacle who were in financial distress – but both denied knowing any details of any of Josea’s dealings at any of his companies.It emerged that Josea had on occasion given as much as N$283 000 to his church.Testimony from Boonzaaier and Smith at the Companies Act inquiry into the botched SSC investment before Judge Raymond Heathcote followed that of 24-year-old Heinrich Helm, who struggled to recount to the court how he had spent in five weeks the N$500 000 Josea had given him as compensation for never having received a salary as a former Namangol CEO.Boonzaaier, who two years ago was accused of receiving more than N$3,5 million in kickbacks for insurance deals he brokered with the SSC, told the court yesterday that the hearings had ruined him as an individual as well as his business.”Since 2003, the commission just messed up my business.I lost clients,” he told the court, saying that without the inquiry having made a public announcement on the outcome, he was left to face the rumours around town about his involvement.According to records before the court, Boonzaaier received a cheque of N$183 000 from Josea on February 4 – only days after the N$29,5 million was paid to his company Namangol.But Boonzaaier surprised the court by telling it that since the beginning of the year he had also received cash from Josea – bringing the total amount received from Josea to around N$480 000.Boonzaaier said he had met Josea in 1995, when Josea “converted” and joined the Voice of God Tabernacle.Since the SSC Commission of Inquiry, Boonzaaier said he had not been able to make a living, and he had lost most of his property.He said he approached Josea in January for a loan to pay his debts.These included a bill of N$87 000 for a month’s stay for him and his family at the Kalahari Sands Hotel, paying N$50 000 to Lorentz and Bone Attorneys for debts to Old Mutual as well as trying to get his office up and running again.”The moment I’m in a position, I will repay him.We are in the same church.We see each other two to three times a week,” said Boonzaaier to a question of what repayment plan he had agreed to with Josea.But as down and out as Boonzaaier claimed to be, he did not hesitate to help others in need, and he maintained he gave N$10 000 to a certain Paul Ockhuizen – said to be a resident of Windhoek’s upmarket Ludwigsdorf suburb.Boonzaaier claimed not to have anything left of the loan he received from Josea, saying he was still heavily indebted and struggling to get back into business.He said he had given his BMW X5 vehicle to Office Economix to cover debts to the office furniture shop.After struggling to recount exactly how all the money had been spent, Heathcote threatened to put him in the court’s holding cell for two hours until he “remembered”.Boonzaaier was then allowed time to return to his office to fetch a breakdown of his expenditure.”I get a bit agitated and maybe I’m wrong.But I get agitated when people can’t remember what they did with their cash three days after Avid was paid N$30 million,” said Heathcote.”There might be no connection, but I get agitated if people can’t explain.”Boonzaaier returned after lunch to recount how he had spent about N$480 000 Josea had given him.Among the payments were to property agents for renting accommodation, buying household items, paying his phone bills, his secretary and storage facilities.Another “brother” Josea had shown his kindness to was John Smith, who received N$100 000 in March when he resigned his job as the Administration Manager at retail trader Game.He, too, said he had met Josea in 1995 when he joined the Voice of God church.Smith said before his voluntary resignation from Game in March where he had only worked for seven months, he had received a gross salary of N$18 000 a month.Shortly afterwards, he approached Josea for a loan to provide for his family.”We are very close.We [people in the church] knew he was doing very well.We admire him.He’s driving a Prado [vehicle] and has a nice house.We supported him.We still support him,” said Smith.Smith said he recalled having received the money from Josea’s wife, after he took Josea to the airport to catch a plane abroad around March 18.From the loan he paid a mechanic shop N$30 000 and Helm (who had received N$500 000 from Josea the month before) N$10 000.Smith pledged that if it was proven that the money lent to him was indeed part of the Avid/Namangol deal, he would repay it, as he had an investment which had grown to N$250 000, and he also planned to sell his house.
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