Jooste is facing accusations of committing accounting fraud between 2011 and 2014, which ultimately led to the financial downfall of Steinhoff, the largest private sector fraud scandal in South Africa's history. The recent court proceedings in Oldenburg, Germany, spanned over 10 days, during which Jooste ignored court orders and failed to present himself. His attorney, Bernd Gross, cited his inability to travel due to restricted access to his passport, as he faces more significant probes and allegations in South Africa than in Germany. The accounting practices of Steinhoff have been under scrutiny since 2014, with allegations of insider trading traced back to the company's initial public offering in 1998. In March 2021, Jooste and three colleagues were charged by German prosecutors with balance sheet fraud. The charges are linked to a fraudulent deal in 2010, where Jooste and his colleagues falsely claimed to trade "know-how," resulting in a substantial boost in revenues for a Steinhoff subsidiary.