Couple ordered to repay N$10m

**Iuze Mukube **

Windhoek High Court Judge Eileen Rakow has ordered convicted couple Amanda Elizabeth and Barnard Christopher Jantjies to repay N$9.9 million they derived from criminal activities.

The order followed an application by State advocate Ian Malumani in terms of Section 32 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).

In simple terms, Section 32 allows an enquiry into whether a convicted person benefited financially from an offence or alleged criminal activity. A court finding where such a benefit existed, may order the person to pay the amount to the State. Malumani, arguing during the confiscation enquiry, had requested the court to enquire into whether the couple had derived financial benefits from the offences.

He requested that since it has been established that they unlawfully defrauded money from an entity, with the total value derived being N$9 988 309.83, the two should jointly and severally repay the money.

He argued that the purpose of the application is to ensure that no person benefits from their wrongdoing and that “crime does not pay”.

The application stood unopposed.

Judge Rakow granted the application yesterday, ordering the couple to repay N$9.9 million to the State. The couple, and a close corporation, Bareli Building Serving belonging to Barnard, were sentenced in July 2026 after they pleaded guilty to 873 counts of fraud, 876 counts of theft and multiple counts of money laundering.

It was alleged that Amanda orchestrated a sustained fraudulent scheme by abusing her position of trust to divert company funds, between January 2014 and November 2018 from bus company Ekonolux.

She allegedly replaced legitimate banking details, inserted unauthorised benefits, and caused payments to be made to herself, her husband and his company, her relatives and associates.

Those unlawfully acquired proceeds were subsequently laundered through numerous financial transactions resulting in the couple’s convictions for money laundering.

The two of them had pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted to using the fraudulently obtained money to fund their lavish lifestyle including gambling addictions.

Amanda was sentenced to 18-years’ imprisonment on 873 fraud charges, of which four-years were suspended for a period of five years.

Barnard was sentenced to 14-year imprisonment on 876 counts of theft, of which five-years was suspended for five years.

The two were also sentenced to 8-years’ imprisonment each for 871 counts of money laundering. However, this sentence was ordered to run together with the sentence on the fraud and theft charges, respectively.

Judge Rakow also sentenced the close corporation to a fine of N$150 000 for 127 counts of theft and a further fine of N$75 000 for 125 counts of money laundering.

The matter is considered final and struck from the roll. Amanda was represented by Dawn Marondedze and Barnard by Janita von Wielligh.

–imukube@nepc.com.na

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