JEANNETTE Harksen, wife of fugitive German businessman Jurgen Harksen, was released on bail of R25 000 rand (2 500 euros) by a Cape Town magistrate on Tuesday after having been arrested on fraud charges involving some R60-million on Monday.
Investigating officer Captain Peter Viljoen told the court he had heard on Tuesday that Harksen’s husband would appeal the extradition order to which he consented verbally in the magistrate’s court two weeks ago. South Africa is due to hand him over to the German authorities under the terms of the order.
The magistrate said that in the South African scam in which the Harksens were allegedly involved, alleged Chase Manhattan Bank documents were used with the forged signature of the bank’s president.
These documents were used to lure victims into making investments.
The scam involved an accomplice living in Cape Town, who had pretended to be the president of the Chase Manhattan Bank, in order to persuade victims to make ”lucrative investments”.
It involved letters of credit and cheques worth a total of $48-billion, Viljoen said.
Viljoen said that Jeannette Harksen had played a major role in the scam, and said there would be further arrests as the investigation progressed.
Her husband is in the process of being extradited to Germany to face fraud and tax evasion charges there.
Last week Jeannette Harksen, who runs a boutique in the city, was due to testify at an insolvency inquiry into her husband’s estate, but booked into a psychiatric clinic instead.
She sent a doctor’s note saying she was suffering from depression. She emerged from the clinic to give evidence at the hearing only after a warrant of arrest was issued against her.
The order for the extradition of her husband was handed to Interpol on Monday, justice ministry representative Paul Setsetse said.
He said it was up to Interpol to arrange with German authorities to fetch Harksen.
”I think he will leave as soon as it is humanly possible, probably before the end of this week,” Setsetse said. Harksen fought an eight-year battle to stay in South Africa.
The tycoon, who has been living in Cape Town since 1993, has in the past claimed to be worth 900-million euros ($800-million), said in September 2000 that he had spent R20-million (about three million dollars/euros) on legal fees in South Africa fighting his extradition. – AFP
