Kidnap claims against sugar baron

THE owner of Family Choice sugar, Karel (Kallie) Gruenschloss, is alleged to have kidnapped his bookkeeper, Maryna Myburgh, by threatening her 13-year-old daughter with gang rape and death to thwart an investigation against him by the Ministry of Finance, The Namibian has learnt.

Gruenschloss (47) is out on bail of N$1 million after he was charged with fraud and bribery in the Tsumeb Magistrate’s Court on August 12, and is to appear in the High Court on December 3. In terms of his bail conditions, he is not permitted to leave the Tsumeb district or interfere or contact any witness until then.His arrest came in the wake of a Ministry of Finance investigation into widespread tax fraud in northern Namibia following the suspension of former Oshakati Receiver of Revenue Hans Haraseb.In addition to criminal charges, Gruenschloss also faces a tax bill as high as N$150 million, penalties and fines included.In evidence obtained by The Namibian, it appears that Gruenschloss could also face charges of kidnapping, obstruction of justice and assault for allegedly threatening to have his former bookkeeper’s 13-year-old daughter gang-raped and killed by his Angolan associates.The only reason he has not been arrested on these charges, the Police indicated to The Namibian, is because his alleged victims can’t lay charges in Namibia.Approached for comment yesterday, Gruenschloss’s lawyer, Danie Kotze, said his instructions from his client were not to talk to the media about Myburgh’s allegations.”It is in his [Gruenschloss] best interests not to say anything at this stage.And I do not think Mr Gruenschloss would want to talk to you,” said Kotze Gruenschloss has so far avoided all contact with the media despite concerted efforts to contact him about Myburgh’s statement.Myburgh said in evidence given under oath that she feared she and her daughter would be killed if they entered Namibia.She claimed Gruenschloss had applied unrelenting threats to get her to leave Namibia and away from the MoF investigators.Myburgh said in her sworn statement that someone claiming to be a Joel Paul of the National Intelligence Service told her on the night of May 25 to leave the country, or her daughter would be gang-raped and killed.Threats were also made against her elderly parents, she claimed.When she told this to Gruenschloss at work the next morning, he took her to the Tsumeb showgrounds for “a private talk” and told her to immediately leave the country, preferably Angola, she said.She was sent home to pack, but refused, even after Gruenschloss visited her at home later that night to repeat the threats and demands.He also wanted her to sign a false statement, but she avoided doing so, Myburgh said under oath.The next day, his threats resumed, and he gave her money to buy a suitcase.He later picked her and her daughter up at home, but insisted that her daughter remain at his house.She was then told to go to a meeting with Gruenschloss’s other lawyer, Francois Pretorius of FA Pretorius and Co legal practitioners, she said.Here she was asked to read and sign a statement already prepared for her signature.Because she feared “something ugly” would happen to her daughter, she signed a statement she knew to be false, crying all the time, she said.They were sent home to pack, and one of Gruenschloss’s drivers, a certain Mauritius Neonga, took her in Gruenschloss’s car to Grootfontein to collect emergency travel documents, which he had arranged with a local Home Affairs official, she said.From there, they were driven to Windhoek where another Gruenschloss employee, named as Pine Pienaar, picked them up at the Windhoek Country Club parking lot.Pienaar drove them to his house, from where they were driven by truck via Botswana to South Africa that night, she said.The driver of the truck, Frans van der Merwe of Cath Transport in Bethlehem, Orange Free State, told them he was instructed by Gruenschloss to drop them anywhere in South Africa.A leading forensic investigator, Hans Hashagen of Ernst & Young, was allegedly also threatened by a group of Angolans, alleged to be Gruenschloss’s associates at the time of Myburgh’s sudden disappearance.The Ministry of Finance subsequently gave Hashagen bodyguards to accompany him on his work, it was reliably established.Permanent Secretary of Finance Calle Schlettwein was in a Cabinet meeting at the time of writing, and could not be reached for comment.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587In terms of his bail conditions, he is not permitted to leave the Tsumeb district or interfere or contact any witness until then.His arrest came in the wake of a Ministry of Finance investigation into widespread tax fraud in northern Namibia following the suspension of former Oshakati Receiver of Revenue Hans Haraseb.In addition to criminal charges, Gruenschloss also faces a tax bill as high as N$150 million, penalties and fines included.In evidence obtained by The Namibian, it appears that Gruenschloss could also face charges of kidnapping, obstruction of justice and assault for allegedly threatening to have his former bookkeeper’s 13-year-old daughter gang-raped and killed by his Angolan associates.The only reason he has not been arrested on these charges, the Police indicated to The Namibian, is because his alleged victims can’t lay charges in Namibia.Approached for comment yesterday, Gruenschloss’s lawyer, Danie Kotze, said his instructions from his client were not to talk to the media about Myburgh’s allegations.”It is in his [Gruenschloss] best interests not to say anything at this stage.And I do not think Mr Gruenschloss would want to talk to you,” said Kotze Gruenschloss has so far avoided all contact with the media despite concerted efforts to contact him about Myburgh’s statement.Myburgh said in evidence given under oath that she feared she and her daughter would be killed if they entered Namibia.She claimed Gruenschloss had applied unrelenting threats to get her to leave Namibia and away from the MoF investigators.Myburgh said in her sworn statement that someone claiming to be a Joel Paul of the National Intelligence Service told her on the night of May 25 to leave the country, or her daughter would be gang-raped and killed.Threats were also made against her elderly parents, she claimed.When she told this to Gruenschloss at work the next morning, he took her to the Tsumeb showgrounds for “a private talk” and told her to immediately leave the country, preferably Angola, she said.She was sent home to pack, but refused, even after Gruenschloss visited her at home later that night to repeat the threats and demands.He also wanted her to sign a false statement, but she avoided doing so, Myburgh said under oath.The next day, his threats resumed, and he gave her money to buy a suitcase.He later picked her and her daughter up at home, but insisted that her daughter remain at his house.She was then told to go to a meeting with Gruenschloss’s other lawyer, Francois Pretorius of FA Pretorius and Co legal practitioners, she said.Here she was asked to read and sign a statement already prepared for her signature.Because she feared “something ugly” would happen to her daughter, she signed a statement she knew to be false, crying all the time, she said.They were sent home to pack, and one of Gruenschloss’s drivers, a certain Mauritius Neonga, took her in Gruenschloss’s car to Grootfontein to collect emergency travel documents, which he had arranged with a local Home Affairs official, she said.From there, they were driven to Windhoek where another Gruenschloss employee, named as Pine Pienaar, picked them up at the Windhoek Country Club parking lot.Pienaar drove them to his house, from where they were driven by truck via Botswana to South Africa that night, she said.The driver of the truck, Frans van der Merwe of Cath Transport in Bethlehem, Orange Free State, told them he was instructed by Gruenschloss to drop them anywhere in South Africa.A leading forensic investigator, Hans Hashagen of Ernst & Young, was allegedly also threatened by a group of Angolans, alleged to be Gruenschloss’s associates at the time of Myburgh’s sudden disappearance.The Ministry of Finance subsequently gave Hashagen bodyguards to accompany him on his work, it was reliably established.Permanent Secretary of Finance Calle Schlettwein was in a Cabinet meeting at the time of writing, and could not be reached for comment. * John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587