Nuusita Ashipala
OSHAKATI – The Oshakati Magistrate’s Court on Thursday sentenced former teacher Immanuel Mutikisha to three years imprisonment for attempting to bribe a police officer to get rid of a docket.
One year was suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during a period of five years.
Mutikisha, who was a teacher at the time in 2014, wanted to bribe the police officer as his teaching career was at stake.
A trap was set and Mutikisha paid the investigation officer N$1 000 of the N$7 000, which he had promised to pay.
Mutikisha was arrested at the Ongwediva roadblock moments after handing over the bribe money.
The bribery stemmed from Mutikisha’s initial arrest for impersonating a legal practitioner. He faced three counts of extortion alternatively theft by false pretence, fraud and contravening Section 2 (1 (b) of the Legal Practitioner Act 15 of 1995, as amended. This section of the law prohibits anyone from using “the title legal practitioner, advocate or attorney or any other word, name, title, designation or description implying or tending to induce the belief that he or she is a legal practitioner or is recognised by law as such”.
Mutikisha and his fellow accused persons Moonsamy Lazarus Jonathan and Leena Abraham wanted to swindle N$319 000 from a local hotel owner in Ongwediva for the alleged unfair dismissal and sexual harassment of Abraham. Abraham was previously employed at the hotel.
The hotel owner became suspicious when they allegedly demanded N$200 000 with the remaining N$119 000 to be paid in instalments.
The businessman alerted the police, leading to their arrest.
The case is ongoing in the Oshakati Regional Court and the accused are set to appear in court at the end of this month.