The man at the centre of the multibillion-rand fraud scandal which rocked markets from Europe to South Africa, Markus Jooste, was due to appear in court on Friday after handing himself over to the Hawks.
Jooste, who allegedly committed suicide on Thursday, was expected to appear in the Pretoria specialised commercial crime court with former Steinhoff executive Stephanus Grobler.
He would’ve faced charges of fraud, a pattern of racketeering and contravention of the Financial Markets Act (FMA) for his role at the helm of Steinhoff International Holdings.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the National Prosecuting Authority said in a joint statement they had secured arrest warrants for the lead suspects in the Steinhoff matter.
Hawks spokesperson Brig Thandi Mbambo said: “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 [country].
“The suspects were expected to hand themselves over at Pretoria central police station and thereafter appear in the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court today [Friday].
“After being notified of the arrest warrants Jooste allegedly committed suicide on the afternoon of March 21. Grobler appeared in court this morning [Friday],” said Mbambo
Jooste’s death comes after the Financial Sector Conduct Authority on Wednesday hit him with a R475m administrative penalty for contraventions of the FMA related to his reporting on the financial position of Steinhoff International.
The matter has been postponed to March 25 for bail judgment.
TimesLIVE