Estate agent arrested for alleged bribe

Home National Estate agent arrested for alleged bribe

WINDHOEK – Swakopmund-based estate agent Erwin Spranger – who owes a Congolese army general of over N$9 million – is due to appear in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court today for allegedly attempting to bribe a lawyer Werner van Rensburg to lie under oath.

He was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly tried to bribe the lawyer, who is contracted to help the Congolese army man recover his money from Spranger.

The matter stems from the debt that Spranger owes the lieutenant general of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Francois Olenga, who was recently promoted to chief of staff. The estate agent originally owed Olenga US$900 000, but has paid US$50 000 of the money, the court earlier heard.

The money was supposedly to be used for the development and expansion of a property the army chief owns at the Namibian coastal town.

Olenga had approached the High Court to assist in recovering his money, and the matter was due to be heard in the High Court tomorrow.

The DRC embassy has contracted Van Rensburg to assist and advise in tracing the money. The lawyer said Spranger wanted to give him [Van Rensburg] money to lie in court as his witness, an offer which he refused. “I feel offended,” Van Rensburg told New Era yesterday.

In December 2010, Olenga asked Spranger to give back the remaining money – a request that to date has not been met. In March when the matter was in court, Olenga asked the court to order Spranger to pay over the remaining money, and an additional interest of 20% per annum from the date of judgement.

Spranger argues that he and Olenga agreed that the estate agency for which Spranger worked receive the mandate to sell Olenga’s unimproved property on his behalf.

The general allegedly paid US$900 000 into the trust account of Kintscher Estates, Agents and Auctioneers, for whom Spranger worked as an estate agent.

The money, court papers further reveal, was exclusively meant for the management and development of Olenga’s property at Swakopmund.

By Tunomukwathi Asino