Berkowitz landed in the dock on allegations of making a
false declaration in a case which is pending before the High Court.
The complainant in this case is her nephew, Aron Vico, who
is the managing director of Waverley Blankets, one of the subsidiary companies
of the empire. The two have been embroiled in a bitter fight over the late
Cohen’s company for years.
Berkowitz argues that her nephew is trying to elbow her and
another sister Belinda Halfon, out of their father’s inheritance. In her
defence, Berkowitz said she did nothing unlawful as alleged by her nephew.
She contends that Vico raised a case against her in a bid
to silence her over Cohen’s companies.
“There was nothing unlawful about the accused’s statement
that she subscribed to the shares in the registered entity known as Waverley
Plastics (Pvt) Ltd,” said her lawyer
Added her lawyer: “The accused person rightly made that
statement in respect of her knowledge over what she experienced.
“The statement was not false at law as it has its own legal
meaning and effect in terms of elementary company law wherein no person would
challenge the meaning of the same in the given circumstances.”
In his testimony, Vico maintained that Berkowitz made false
statements under oath. He said he was still employed by the company adding that
there had been no disciplinary hearing against him.
Vico said on July 2, 2020 during judicial proceedings at
the High Court , the accused person, through a statement made under oath, gave
a false declaration and deposed it during proceedings under case number HC
5040/19.
“After the death of my grandfather, there have been some
disputes which have spilled into the courts. In one of the cases involving
Waverley Plastics, I said in my affidavit that aunt did not subscribe to
memorandum of association of the company and in fact the signatures were
forged.
“My aunt, in her responding affidavit said she in fact, did
subscribe,” he said. He said he engaged an examiner who confirmed that the
signatures were forged.
“I had a forensic report when I noticed that the signatures
were forged. In fact, none of the people in there have subscribed,” said Vico.
Berkowitz is alleged to have written in the contested
document: “I deny this and refer to the subscription page of the Memorandum of
Association of the Company attached in the main founding affidavit.
“I subscribed to the shares in the company and the
suggestion that I and the other subscribers did not is nonsensical.”
However, Vico insists she did not subscribe and when the
document was signed, she was not in the country. He, however, failed provide
evidence she was indeed not in the country.
The investigating officer provided a statement allegedly
made by Amanda Cohen where she states that her signature was forged on the
memorandum and articles which he believes is contrary to her statement made in
court. Herald
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