Family and friends of northern-based teacher Abednego ‘Bishop’ Hishoono, who was ordered by the High Court to pay N$250 000 to First Lady Monica Geingos for defamation, have indicated their willingness to help raise the funds.
Hishoono on Saturday through his social media platforms shared an account held at a local bank requesting those who wish to assist him raise funds to deposit their contribution.
On Friday Judge Orben Sibeya found statements made by Hishoono in a widely circulated video to be false and defamatory to Geingos and her family. The court ordered he pays N$250 000 with 20% interest per annum for the damage he has caused to Geingos’ reputation and dignity.
Hishoono was also ordered to retract his statements and apologised to the First Lady within five days from the date of judgement.
On the cost of suit, the court noted Hishoono, who represented himself during the hearing, deserved a little bit of mercy.
“I am of the respective view that the defendant has been punished enough and requires a measure of mercy, even to a certain degree. I am therefore not persuaded this is a case befitting punitive costs. Consequently, cost would be awarded on an ordinary scale,” said Sibeya.
In his judgement, Sibeya said Hishoono did not care of the possible harm that he might cause Geingos when he recorded and shared the video, which he hoped to score cheap political points. Hishoono tendered his apology to Geingos, while in the company of her lawyer Sisa Namandje.
He also retracted his statements as ordered by the court.
“I accept on record that there is absolutely no truth in the allegations that I made.
I further accept that I should have never made such reckless, defamatory and unfounded allegations against Mrs Geingos in the first place,” said Hishoono.
He requested members of the public who may be in possession of the “toxic” video to dispose of and to stop circulating it. Geingos had filed a N$350 000 defamation lawsuit against Hishoono for producing and sharing a video in which he allegedly made “false suggestions, innuendos, insinuations [or] statements” about her. In the video, Hishoono alleges the First Lady corruptly influenced the planned liquidation of Air Namibia to protect and advance her own economic interests as she is a shareholder of Westair Aviation and was instrumental in its establishment. Hishoono further alleged in the video Geingos has a son with one ‘Hatuikulipi’, who is currently in prison. He went on to say Geingos’ marriage to the head of State Hage Geingob was arranged by ‘Hatuikulipi’.
-mamakali@nepc.com.na