Former Windhoek International School financial manager, Maria Coetzee, has been found guilty on 19 charges, including fraud, theft, and money laundering, after siphoning more than N$2.8 million from the institution.
Delivering the judgment, Acting Judge Makapa Simasiku said the State had successfully proven its case, citing witness statements and email evidence in which Coetzee admitted to the crimes. Court documents revealed that between 12 March and 19 October 2018, Coetzee electronically transferred school funds into her personal FNB accounts, disguising the payments as legitimate creditor transactions, including those for the Inland Revenue.
Evidence presented in court showed that she returned nearly N$200,000 to the school after confessing, but had already spent the bulk of the stolen money. According to the findings, Coetzee used approximately N$2.5 million on online gambling, N$45,000 on furniture, and N$25,000 on air tickets.
Judge Simasiku emphasized that Coetzee had abused her position of trust to commit the crimes, causing significant financial and reputational harm to the school.
The court is expected to hand down sentencing at a later date.
