Maria Coetzee, the former finance manager at Windhoek International School in Namibia, has been extradited from South Africa after being on the run for over three years.
Story Summary:
- Maria Coetzee, former finance manager at Windhoek International School, was extradited from South Africa to Namibia.
- Coetzee faces 18 counts of fraud, theft, and money laundering after embezzling N$2.8 million.
- She was arrested in Pretoria after fleeing Namibia and is scheduled to appear in court upon her return.
Watch: Maria Coetzee Extradited Back to Namibia to Face Fraud Charges
Coetzee, who is accused of defrauding the school of N$2.8 million (est. R2.79 million), was apprehended in Pretoria and returned to Namibia to face 18 counts of fraud, theft, and money laundering.
The charges against Coetzee stem from her time as finance manager at the Windhoek International School, where she allegedly orchestrated a series of fraudulent transactions between March and October 2018.
According to court documents, Coetzee transferred over N$2.8 million from the school’s bank account into three accounts under her name.
She attempted to transfer an additional N$580,000 (est. R579,545), but those transactions were declined.
Coetzee was initially arrested in January 2019 and appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, where she was charged with fraud.
She was released on bail of N$10,000 (est. R9,992) but failed to appear for a pretrial hearing in May 2020. It was later discovered that Coetzee had fled to South Africa, where she had been hiding in Pretoria.
Namibian police, working in coordination with South African authorities, traced Coetzee to Pretoria and arrested her earlier this month.
Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi confirmed that Coetzee was extradited to Namibia on Friday and is expected to appear in court at Hosea Kutako International Airport upon her return.
Coetzee’s actions had significant repercussions for Windhoek International School.
Following the discovery of the fraud, the school terminated her employment and implemented several safeguards to prevent future incidents.
The school’s board chairperson, Matthew Black, told Namibian media that the school has since recovered N$200,000 (R199,843) of the stolen funds but continues to seek the maximum recovery of the remaining amount.
Maria Coetzee is scheduled to appear in court next week, where she will face the full extent of the charges against her.
