Former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste has died, taking his own life a day before he was meant to hand himself over the South African law enforcement officials for financial crimes perpetrated during his reign at the helm of the company.
On Wednesday, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) fined Jooste R475 million after it found that he and Steinhoff’s former European finance chief, Dirk Schreiber, were responsible for publishing deceptive statements about Steinhoff International’s financial position between 2014 and 2017.
He was reportedly set to hand himself over to police and former Steinhoff company secretary and head of legal Stéhan Grobler, on Friday.
Although they did not name him directly, police confirmed that the suicide of a man matching Jooste’s description.
Jooste had reportedly told his wife he was going out for a walk on Thursday, while he went to play a round of golf in the meantime.
It was during his walk that he shot himself.
“Our members were called out to a scene at a beach in Hermanus, where a 63-year-old man [suffered a] gunshot wound to the head,” Lt-Col Malcolm Pojie of the South African Police Services said.
“He was still alive at the time; he was transported to the hospital, and he succumbed a few minutes after arrival at the hospital.
An inquest docket was opened by Hermanus police for further investigation; no foul play is suspected at this time.” Telly Africa
