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Namibia: Evidence Piles On Namugongo
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New Era (Windhoek)
4 July 2008
Posted to the web 4 July 2008
Kuvee Kangueehi
Windhoek
Damning evidence continued to pile up like a tonne of bricks against Sackey Namugongo, the Deputy Director in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, as one witness after another confessed to paying large sums of money to him for ostensibly issuing gambling licences, despite a moratorium at the time.
According to some witnesses, some of the money was directly deposited into Namugongo's personal bank account and at other times he would collect the funds himself.
State witness, Philemon Erastus, who started testifying in court on Wednesday, yesterday continued with his testimony and informed the court that apart from the N$32000 that he paid initially and another N$13000 that he deposited into the account of Namugongo, he further gave him N$15000 in cash.
Erastus recalled that in 2006, he first gave Namugongo an amount of N$8000 at the Cash and Carry Wholesalers in the northern industrial area and again gave him N$7000 in cash at a service station close to TransNamib in Windhoek.
After Erastus finished testifying, his employee, Ester Shilenga, who works as a cashier at one of his shops also gave testimony that she paid an amount N$3000 into the personal account of Namugongo on the instructions of Erastus.
The fifth state witness, Petrus Hangula informed the court that he lost N$20000 in the same process of trying to obtain a gambling licence.
Hangula said he dropped a hand-written application form at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Windhoek and his application was given to Namugongo.
He testified that while he was in Swakopmund, he received a telephone call from Namugongo telling him that he (Namugongo) was coming to the coast on official business and would come to inspect his business.
The court heard that when Namugongo arrived at Swakopmund he called Hangula and asked for directions to his business and inspected the premises.
"Namugongo said he was happy with the business set up and said I should pay him N$20000 in cash if I had it at my disposal."
Hangula said he became suspicious when he was asked what proof he had that he now had a gambling licence and Namugongo produced his business card and gave him a letter acknowledging receipt of application.
The letter had the name of a business and an official of the Ministry of Justice.
Hangula testified that he informed Namugongo that he did not have the cash on him and Namugongo gave him his personal bank account details and requested that he pays the money into his account, which Hangula did a few days later.
Both Erastus and Hangula wanted to know from the court how they can recover the money as they do not have gambling licences despite losing a lot money in the process of applying for one.
The case continues today and the State will call in more witnesses.
Namugongo pleaded not guilty to all 43 counts, which cover corruption, fraud, theft or alternatively forgery and uttering.
According to the charge sheet, Namugongo granted 19 fake gambling licences to 18 individuals and in the process stole funds to the tune N$385 000.
Namugongo was arrested by investigators from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at the Hosea Kutako Airport on corruption, fraud and forgery and uttering charges on September 17, 2006 on his way home from South Africa.
The amounts that the 18 people paid varied from N$6500 to N$60000 and these people are appearing as State witnesses.
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Titus Mbaeva represents Namugongo, while Deputy Prosecutor General, Orben Sibeya, represents the State.
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