CBI Global founder Coenraad Botha (69) and wife Charlotte Murove (31) have been charged with sixty-three criminal offenses related to the CBI Global Ponzi scheme.

Following their arrest on Monday the 11th , a defense attorney argued Botha’s and Murove’s arrest was unlawful.

Based on there being no appropriate warrants issued for Botha or Murove, Windhoek Magistrate’s Court magistrate Dawid Mukuyu agreed.

Botha and Murove were released on Magistrate Mukuyu’s order. Shortly after release, Botha and Murove were then arrested again last Friday. Presumably this time with the correct warrants issued.

Police officers testified that at the time of their arrest, Botha and Murove were attempting to flee to Dubai. Botha has since claimed he was only “travelling to South Africa to visit friends”.

Dubai provides shelter to criminals from all over the world. Had Botha and Murove fled, it’s unlikely they’d ever face justice in Namibia.

Botha and Murove have been charged with:

  • thirty-one counts of conducting an unauthorized banking business;
  • thirty-one counts of money laundering and
  • one count of running a Ponzi scheme

Namibian authorities peg CBI Global investor losses at over N$160 million ($8.4 million USD).

CBI Global Compliance Officer and Botha’s personal attorney Afrika Jantjies (right) was also arrested last Wednesday.

Jantjies was later released without charges filed. Despite appearing to be an obvious conflict of interest, Jantjies is now representing Botha and Murove.

 

Update 8th June 2024 – Somewhat predictably, Namibian authorities failed to present a case at Coenie Botha’s April bail hearing. This saw Botha and Charlotte Murove released on bail.