Khomas Regional Council paymaster charged with fraud

AN official dealing with salaries in the Khomas Regional Council briefly appeared on a fraud charge in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Jacqueline Hanze (32) handed herself over to the Police on Thursday evening after alarm was raised that she was being sought for fraud. She was on leave at the time of her arrest.The Namibian has it on good authority that Hanze allegedly defrauded the Khomas Regional Council by inflating salaries of staff members and taking at least N$10 000 a month for her own gain.The final amount being investigated could be as much as N$200 000, sources said.Hanze’s bail of N$5 000 was paid shortly after she appeared in court and she was released with conditions.One of these was that she must hand in all her travel documents and report at the Windhoek Police Station on Mondays between 9h00 and 10h00.She is also not allowed to leave the Windhoek district without the permission of the investigating officer and may not interfere with Police investigations or the witnesses.The case was postponed to October 13 for further investigations.Sources said Hanze went on ‘sick leave’ for two weeks and the auditors came across the discrepancies while she was away.When she realised that investigations were conducted and that she was about to be arrested, sources alleged, she did not report back for work.Police subsequently requested anyone who knew her whereabouts to contact them.Hanze handed herself over to the Police on Thursday after her details where screened on national television.She was on leave at the time of her arrest.The Namibian has it on good authority that Hanze allegedly defrauded the Khomas Regional Council by inflating salaries of staff members and taking at least N$10 000 a month for her own gain.The final amount being investigated could be as much as N$200 000, sources said.Hanze’s bail of N$5 000 was paid shortly after she appeared in court and she was released with conditions.One of these was that she must hand in all her travel documents and report at the Windhoek Police Station on Mondays between 9h00 and 10h00.She is also not allowed to leave the Windhoek district without the permission of the investigating officer and may not interfere with Police investigations or the witnesses.The case was postponed to October 13 for further investigations.Sources said Hanze went on ‘sick leave’ for two weeks and the auditors came across the discrepancies while she was away.When she realised that investigations were conducted and that she was about to be arrested, sources alleged, she did not report back for work.Police subsequently requested anyone who knew her whereabouts to contact them.Hanze handed herself over to the Police on Thursday after her details where screened on national television.