A former Steinhoff executive appears in court, a day after his co-accused, Markus Jooste, died by suicide. File Picture: David Harrison
Former Steinhoff executive, Stephanus Johannes Grobler, is appearing in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on charges relating to corporate fraud against Steinhoff International Holdings.
In a media statement, police spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) secured warrants of arrest against Grobler and Steinhoff chief executive officer, Markus Jooste.
"The exit routes were secured before the message of securing their attendance in court was shared with the defence to ensure that none of the suspects leave the borders," Mbambo said.
She said the suspects were expected to hand themselves over to police at the Pretoria Central police station on Friday, however, on Thursday, IOL reported that Jooste had died by suicide.
"After being notified of the arrest warrants, Mr Jooste allegedly committed suicide on the afternoon of March 21, 2024. Mr Grobler appeared in court this morning on the said charges," Mbambo said.
Western Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said police were activated to attend to a shooting incident at about 2.40pm at Kwaaiwater Beach in Hermanus on Thursday.
“The deceased succumbed to a fatal gunshot wound to the head shortly after arrival at a private hospital. We can confirm that Hermanus SAPS opened an inquest docket for investigation,” he said.
Grobler and Jooste face charges of fraud, a pattern of racketeering activities and contravention of Financial Markets Act brought against Steinhoff International Holdings.
Jooste's death comes following a penalty of R475 million imposed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) after it found that he contributed to the publication of misleading or deceptive financial statements about the company.
IOL