Notorious German fraudster Jurgen Harksen died at the age of 63 on Tuesday, 19 March 2024, as reported by News24. German publications, such as Der Spiegel, also reported on his death.
Harksen swindled investors out of millions of rands while he ‘lived the high life in Cape Town in the 80s and 90s’, until he was sentenced to several years in prison in Hamburg for fraud in 2003.
Also read: Former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste dies following R475 million fine
Before his arrest and sentencing, he had fled to South Africa, where he ‘managed to evade justice’ for almost a decade. He fought his extradition but eventually consented to return to Germany in 2002.
Harksen was accused of defrauding approximately 70 people out of R327 million in an investment scam and, after serving a sentence, moved to Palma de Mallorca.
Among his controversies, it was alleged that former provincial leader Gerald Morkel from the Democratic Alliance (DA) had accepted donations from Harksen.
The Desai Commission was set up to probe the donation, and Harksen told the commission that he had ‘channelled more than R1 million to the party’ through Morkel and former Finance MEC Leon Markovitz.
Also read:
Picture: Screenshot / The Man Who Stole Millions (2004) / Youtube