N$3.3m school fraud was betrayal, judge says

The fraud committed by a former financial manager of a Windhoek school when she transferred N$2.8 million from the school’s bank account to her own accounts was “a profound betrayal of trust”, a judge said in the Windhoek High Court on Monday.

Acting judge Makapa Simasiku made the remark before sentencing Maria Coetzee (53), a former financial manager of Windhoek International School, to an effective prison term of seven years on 18 charges of fraud, involving a total amount of N$3.38 million, and one count of money laundering.

Simasiku found Coetzee guilty on the charges about two weeks ago.

The fraudulent transactions took place between March and October 2018, and were discovered by the school board’s treasurer in October 2018.

Simasiku found that Coetzee successfully transferred money from the school’s bank account to her own accounts on 12 occasions, and on six occasions also tried to transfer funds from the school’s account to her own bank accounts.

A total amount of N$2.8 million was paid to Coetzee’s accounts through the successful transfers.

After the discovery of her fraud, Coetzee paid N$267 000 back to the school.

Coetzee pleaded guilty to eight charges of fraud and five counts of attempted theft at the start of her trial in May this year, but Simasiku recorded pleas of not guilty on all charges after hearing Coetzee’s plea explanation, in which she said she was suffering from various diagnosed mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

She also stated in her plea explanation that she was addicted to online gambling when she defrauded the school, and that she gambled with the money she took from the school and lost most of it.

Simasiku found it was proven that Coetzee transferred a total amount of N$2.8 million from the school’s bank account to her own accounts, and also tried to transfer N$567 532 to her own accounts.

Coetzee was released on bail after being arrested and charged.

Around May 2020, she fled to South Africa, where she was arrested in August 2023. In August last year, she was extradited from South Africa to Namibia to stand trial.

Coetzee told the court last week that she has spent two years and two months in jail.

“I was shocked to my core,” she said about being imprisoned, before telling the judge she has changed and has overcome her addiction to gambling.

Simasiku remarked during the sentencing: “Her actions are a slap in the face to the students, teachers and parents who work hard to make the school a positive and productive environment.”

He also said: “This was not a crime of necessity, but a selfish act motivated by a need to satisfy a gambling addiction, a fact made worse by her inability to account for how she spent the vast majority of the funds.”

Simasiku noted that Coetzee expressed remorse over her actions and apologised to the school shortly after the fraud was discovered.

He sentenced Coetzee to 10 years’ imprisonment, of which three years are suspended for a period of five years, on the 18 fraud charges, and to a concurrent jail term of five years on the count of money laundering.

Simasiku also gave a confiscation order against Coetzee for the payment of N$2.55 million to the state.

Coetzee was represented by defence lawyer Janita von Wielligh, instructed by the Directorate of Legal Aid. Deputy prosecutor general Tangeni Iitula represented the state.

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