Roland Routh
Windhoek
A prosecutor at the Okakarara Magistrate’s Court was sentenced to a combined fine of N$40,000 or a combined jail term of 36 months after he was convicted on two counts of corruptly using his office or position for gratification under the Anti-Corruption Act.
Johannes Nunuheb was convicted by Magistrate Eduard Kesslau in the Otjiwarongo Regional Court on March 8 on the two charges. He was indicted on six charges and pleaded not guilty to all charges at the start of his trial.
According to the charge sheet, he took money from people who came to pay an admission of guilt fine for traffic offences, under the pretext that the computer system at the magistrate’s court was out of order and that he would deposit the money as soon as the computer system was fixed, but he instead used the monies for his own benefit.
Magistrate Kesslau convicted Nunuheb on the first count of corruptly using his office for gratification. It was charged that Nunuheb received an amount of N$1,000 from a certain Julio Domingos meant for the payment of an admission of guilt fine, and thereafter successfully applied to the Okakarara Magistrate’s Court for the withdrawal of the ticket, claiming it was defective. For this conviction he was sentenced to a fine of N$15,000 or 12 months in jail.
He was further convicted on a charge that he received an amount of N$1,200 from one Lin Shurong meant for the payment of two fines, and that he again applied to the Okakarara Magistrate’s Court for the cancellation of the fine. On this charge he was sentenced to a fine of N$25,000 or in default of payment a jail term of 24 months. He was however acquitted on three counts of corruptly giving a false document to an agent and one count of providing false information to an authorised officer.
Henry Muhongo prosecuted and Nunuheb was represented by Monty Karuhaihe.