Legal Shield duo ‘losa mariba’ due to ‘Winna Mariba’ rip-off

TWO former employees of Legal Shield Namibia will have to pay dearly for defrauding the legal services insurance company through its ‘Winna Mariba’ computer lottery.

Foibe Markus (25) and Louise Shoomba (23) both committed fraud while working in Legal Shield’s Oshakati office between April and August 2003, Oshakati Magistrate Walter Mostert found when he convicted each of them on a charge of fraud this week. The two women were accused of pretending to the company that certain Legal Shield clients had won cash prizes in Legal Shield’s ‘Winna Mariba’ lottery game.The people had not participated, did not win money, or won smaller amounts than were indicated on pay-out receipts that Markus and Shoomba were accused of issuing to the clients.In the process, it was charged, Markus pocketed an ill-gotten N$7 010 and Shoomba N$7 520.Magistrate Mostert convicted the duo as charged in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.In her address before sentencing, Public Prosecutor Sadiqah Guendouz told the court that Markus and Shoomba had breached the positions of trust that they held with the company.She said it was aggravating that the money they embezzled was in fact public money – that is, money entrusted to Legal Shield by the people of Namibia.Markus and Shoomba had literally stolen from the hand that fed them, Guendouz remarked.The Magistrate sentenced each of them to a fine of N$6 000 or 36 months’ imprisonment, of which N$3 000 or 18 months’ imprisonment were suspended for four years on condition that they are not again convicted of fraud committed during the period of suspension.In addition, each of them has a further three-year jail term hanging over them if they do not compensate Legal Shield for the money the company lost through the scam.They were ordered to repay this in monthly instalments of N$1 000 from the beginning of September.The two women were accused of pretending to the company that certain Legal Shield clients had won cash prizes in Legal Shield’s ‘Winna Mariba’ lottery game.The people had not participated, did not win money, or won smaller amounts than were indicated on pay-out receipts that Markus and Shoomba were accused of issuing to the clients.In the process, it was charged, Markus pocketed an ill-gotten N$7 010 and Shoomba N$7 520.Magistrate Mostert convicted the duo as charged in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.In her address before sentencing, Public Prosecutor Sadiqah Guendouz told the court that Markus and Shoomba had breached the positions of trust that they held with the company.She said it was aggravating that the money they embezzled was in fact public money – that is, money entrusted to Legal Shield by the people of Namibia.Markus and Shoomba had literally stolen from the hand that fed them, Guendouz remarked.The Magistrate sentenced each of them to a fine of N$6 000 or 36 months’ imprisonment, of which N$3 000 or 18 months’ imprisonment were suspended for four years on condition that they are not again convicted of fraud committed during the period of suspension.In addition, each of them has a further three-year jail term hanging over them if they do not compensate Legal Shield for the money the company lost through the scam.They were ordered to repay this in monthly instalments of N$1 000 from the beginning of September.