2013-12-13Staff Report 2 WINDHOEK - Two men who allegedly duped the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture into paying out thousands of dollars for fake invoices made a first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Edward Hategekimana, 50, and Alfred Ortmann, 35, each face one count of contravening the Anti-Corruption Act. The State alleges Hategekimana and Ortmann submitted fictitious invoices to the ministry for work or services rendered while no such work or services were rendered. In Hategekimana’s case the ministry were duped into paying N$689 630 and in Ortmann’s case N$177 390. Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) agents arrested them on Sunday, December 8. During Monday’s hearing they were not asked to plead and the State prosecutor, Samantha Diergaardt, informed Magistrate Justine Asino the State opposed bail as the charges were serious and investigations were at a preliminary stage. She also informed Asino that there is a possibility that more suspects would be arrested. According to Diergaardt there is a real risk that the accused would interfere with the police investigation should they be released on bail. Asino remanded both Hategekimana and Ortmann in custody and postponed the matter to December 17 for a formal bail application. Hategekimana was represented by candidate lawyer Albertina Iithana from Orben Sibeya and Partners and Ortmann by Milton Engelbrecht from James Diederiks Law Firm. By Roland Routh 2013-12-13Staff Report 2
