N$9.9 million fraud accused breaks down in court, asks for forgiveness

Staff Reporter AMANDA Jantjies, a 58-year-old woman who defrauded a transport service company, Ekonolux, of about N$9.9 million, today broke down in tears before High Court Judge Eileen Rakow, recounting how a guilty conscience led her to confess her ill deeds. Jantjies, alongside her husband, Barnard Jantjies (60), pleaded guilty to charges levelled against them in relation to a N$9.9 million fraud case in the High Court. On 4 June 2026, Amanda provided her testimony to present mitigating factors before her sentencing.

The State alleges that during the period from January 2014 to November 2018, Amanda, who had been employed as a bookkeeper at Ekonolux, paid money from a bank account of Ekonolux into her own bank account and into an account of Bareli Building Services, a business owned by her husband, who is also listed as a third accused in the matter. A total of N$3.4 million was paid from a bank account of Ekonolux to an account of Bareli Building Services CC. REMORSEFUL: Amanda Jantjies, 58, implored High Court Judge Eileen Rakow to have mercy on her during sentencing.

It is further alleged that some of the payments were also made from the account of Ekonolux to settle her and her husband’s personal expenses. In her testimony, Jantjies said that she had started working for the transport service company in 1996 as a clerk, which handled the selling of tickets as well as attendance registers. After several years, Amanda said she had climbed up the ranks and had eventually been allowed to handle the finances of the company when it moved to Windhoek.