Maria Amakali
The bail hearing of a police reservist, accused of attempting to defeat the course of justice in the ongoing Fishrot case, will resume end of this month.
Sakaria Kuutondokwa Kokule (47) was informed his formal bail hearing will continue on 27 June, as the state advocate is unwell and is unable to proceed.
Kokule, who is seeking to convince the court to release him on bail, was arrested in January 2020 after he allegedly tried to bribe an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) officer, Junias Ipinge, with N$250 000 to steal bank cards belonging to Fishrot accused James Hatuikulipi and Pius Mwatelulo.
He and Hatuikulipi are awaiting trial on charges ranging from corruptly giving gratification as an inducement, bribery or alternatively improperly influencing an authorised officer and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The two were initially charged alongside Jason Iyambo (35), who was convicted and sentenced to nine months imprisonment after he confessed and admitted guilt to the charges. He has already been released from custody late last year. In his plea statement, Iyambo implicated Hatuikulipi. According to Iyambo, Hatuikulipi asked him to obtain bank cards of a co-accused in the Fishrot case, Pius Mwatelulo, and a handwritten document, titled ‘Total allocation’, which had also been seized by the ACC.
Hatuikulipi wanted the Bank Windhoek cards for Omvindi Investment CC and Otuafika Logistics issued to Mwatelulo. Iyambo admitted he offered a bribe of N$250 000 to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigator Junias Iipinge in Windhoek on 20 January 2020.
However, the investigating officer went to his superiors at the ACC and reported the incident.
During his bail hearing, Kokule denied all the allegations against him.
He claims to have been in Kamanjab when the bribery took place and Iyambo was arrested.
According to him, he was only responsible for introducing Iyambo and the ACC agent and had no part in the discussions. He said, during December 2019, while he was in the north, he received a message from Iyambo that he was looking for an ACC agent.
As he personally knows Ipinge, he arranged a meeting between them. He vehemently denied any knowledge of a bribe. When he heard of Iyambo’s arrest on 20 January 2020, Kokule said, he immediately contacted Ipinge, who told him to come to the ACC offices the next day.
He went there with his legal representative, he said, adding that the ACC wanted to know about his involvement in the matter.
He added they wanted him to depose a statement, and he agreed with advice from his lawyer, as the ACC investigator told him he was not a suspect but a possible State witness. However, on 23 January 2020, he received a call from ACC, ordering him to be at their offices the next day. When he went there, he was arrested on the spot. Kokule said he was not informed about the reason for his arrest.
He remains incarcerated at the Seeis police station. Kokule is being represented by Jermaine Muchali, while advocate Ian Malumani is for the state. Magistrate Linus Samunzala is presiding.
-mamakali@nepc.com.na