Hawks seek assistance from Austria in Steinhoff matter
Investigating unit sends request for help to get to the bottom of fraud and misrepresentation case
An application for legal assistance to source evidence in the Steinhoff matter has been finalised and sent to Austria, Hawks boss Lt-Gen Godfrey Lebeya says. At the centre of the saga is former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste, one of the senior executives who was at the helm of the retailer ahead of its collapse in December 2017. Late in 2018, Jooste told parliamentarians that he was not aware of any financial irregularities on the day he resigned. He instead blamed the crisis on a protracted dispute with Austrian business partner Andreas Seifert, which triggered investigations into Steinhoff by European regulators and tax authorities. Steinhoff largely settled the impasse with Seifert by selling half its German furniture chain POCO to Seifert, who had sued the retailer in three countries. The Hawks are investigating various matters relating to Steinhoff involving fraud, misrepresentation and the loss of billions of rand for investors. Separate investigations by PwC have uncovered the o...
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