SA not done with Harksen yet
2003-04-14 23:10
Cape Town - Flamboyant swindler Jurgen Harksen was jailed for six years in Germany for fraud. Now he faces similar charges in South Africa.
Justice Department spokesperson, Paul Setsetse, says Harksen must be tried here for six charges of fraud amounting to about R11m - money allegedly swindled out of South African investors.
Police say further fraud charges could follow, possibly involving as much as R70m.
Setsetse says the department is negotiating with German officials to have Harksen sent back to South Africa for his trial.
"If possible, we'd like the Germans to send him here while he's serving his sentence. We're not sure when he'll be extradited, but we're determined to get him here," said Setsetse.
Harksen's wife Jeanette, who is currently in Germany, could also be charged as an accomplice. Her lawyer informed Setsetse she would return to South Africa, where the couple's three children still live.
On Friday, the Hamburg regional court found Harksen guilty of fraud valued at $20m (about R156.4m) and sentenced him to six years and nine months in prison.