Debt collector warns public about former employee “stealing”clients

The Swakopmund branch of OSK Debt Collectors has levelled serious allegations against a former employee, Monique Prince, who was charged with fraud. Prince allegedly pinches their clients after she opened her own debt collecting company. Prince refutes these allegations, though.

The case became public recently after OSK Debt Collectors came forward to warn the business community and general public about the fraudulent dealings of their former employee. “It is ruining our company’s image,” said Titus Kaapangelwa, OSK Debt Collector’s Manager of Corporate and Commercial Affairs.
According to Kaapangelwa Monique Prince (33) worked at the Swakopmund branch of OSK for about three months. She resigned early in 2016 after OSK suspected her of fraud as some files of clients suddenly went missing. Shortly thereafter Prince opened her own company called “MSK Debt Collectors”.
“She did this with the intention of misleading our clients. She even went so far as to call our clients and tell them that OSK Debt Collectors closed down and that MSK Debt Collectors took over. She is stealing our clients’ money”, Kaapangelwa said to namib times.
After various queries from clients OSK Debt Collectors discovered some files were missing. The company subsequently opened a case (CR44/10/ 2016) with the Swakopmund police. “We tracked down Prince with the police and found her in a small office in possession of our company files. She was arrested and admitted that she was operating illegally. Her business was not registered with Mini-stry of Trade and she did not have a certificate of fitness from the Swakopmund Municipality,” Kaa-pangelwa continued.
After the arrest Prince was warned to close down her business and to refrain from tarnishing OSK’s name. But the story did not end here: She was later released on bail and continued operating.
She allegedly continues spreading lies to OSK clients in Erongo. Among others that OSK is no more and that they should deal with MSK Debt Collectors. “MSK Debt Collectors is an illegal entity, operated by someone who is not even a citizen of Namibia”, Kaapangelwa charged.
He added that their clients have been affected and are still being affected by this fraudulent business. “It is very concerning. We have worked hard to reach where we are. We have been ope-rating for over eight years and have branches in Oshakati, Swakopmund and Windhoek and we employ over 20 people. All of them are affected by this one individual”, he said.
When namib times confronted Prince about the allegations she refuted the claims, saying that it is simply not true. She refused to comment further and merely said that she was not the owner of MSK Debt Collectors and only worked there. Prince added that “they already went to court about this (OSK) and I do not know why OSK Debt Collectors wants to tarnish my name.”
∙Monique Prince was charged with fraud and appeared in the Swakopmund magistrates court several times. Her first appearance was in October 2016. She appeared several times, but the court record indicates her last appearance was in February this year when the case was provisionally withdrawn on account of an incomplete investigation.
When namib times asked Prince why she was arrested and why she was found being in possession of files belonging to OSK, she refused to comment and instead referred all further queries to her lawyer.