Convicted of selling arms to former Liberian president warlord Charles Taylor, Guus Kouwenhoven – more formally referred to as Augustinus Petrus Kouwenhoven – refused to return home to live out the rest of his life behind bars.
Instead, the 75-year-old made Cape Town his home and was living the high life in Camps Bay, then Fresnaye, before being arrested last Friday.
We gave you lowdown about the “blood timber” trader’s crimes and convictions here.
Kouwenhoven appeared in court yesterday where it was revealed that authorities spotted him while he was driving around the city in some ‘fancy pancy’ sports cars last week, reports News24.
Guus stated in an affidavit that he suffered from “extremely poor health” and was “too sick to travel” citing troubles with his left leg and an urgent prostate operation:
“My situation is such that my life expectancy is three years,” he said.
However, the court heard a very different story from Interpol investigator Warrant Officer Willem Jacobus van der Heever :
[Van der Heever] said that it was known that Kouwenhoven gave a tour of his multiple-storey home, which it later emerged in court was in upmarket Bantry Bay.
“He gave a guided tour of his five-storey house when the elevator didn’t work. He was also observed [by police investigators] driving many of his luxury vehicles around Cape Town,” Van der Heever said.
Van der Heever also claimed that Kouwenhoven had, in fact, travelled to destinations including Paris and Brazzaville.
It also emerged that Kouwenhoven has two-year-old twins who were born in South Africa in May 2015. Together with his wife, the family stays in a R90 million home in Bantry Bay:
A two-storey home valued at R20m and in the same street was registered in the name of one of Kouwenhoven’s companies. He and his wife rented this out at R18 000 per night.
It emerged during proceedings that Kouwenhoven and his wife married in community of property in April 2009. She obtained permanent residency in South Africa in 2015.
A third property they own, in Camps Bay, was recently sold for R12m.
Oh and the couple also owns a Porsche Panamera, a Range Rover Autobiography and a Mercedes Vito.
Hectic, hey? The bail application continues today, and Kouwenhoven is detained at the Sea Point police station.
Fun times.
[source: news24]
