Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo, through his lawyer Nambili Mhata, has sent a letter of demand to activist Michael Saddam Amushelelo to immediately stop spreading false rumours about him through social media, or face a lawsuit of N$1 million. Shikongo, however, offered an olive branch, saying he will drop the lawsuit if Amushelelo issues an unreserved apology and removes all posts regarding Shikongo from all his social media accounts on or before 14 February, and desists from publishing any further hurtful statements.
In a reply on Facebook, Amushelelo, who is no stranger to controversy, stated that the police chief should not wait for Valentine’s Day as he won’t get any flowers, and instead of wasting time, can approach the courts already. Amushelelo further said his information is reliable and if Shikongo wants him to stop, he should hand himself over to the police to be arrested.
Amushelelo also vowed that he will never delete anything about him (Shikongo) from his social media accounts.
According to the letter of demand, the social media remarks by Amushelelo are not only false, but their insinuations, suggestions and innuendos concerning Shikongo are in their ordinary meaning wrongfully malicious and designed in contempt of Shikongo, to infringe upon his reputation, dignity, his person, self-worth and good name by implying he clandestinely tampered with the investigations, or gave instructions to tamper with the investigations at the scene of the disastrous motor-vehicle accident he was involved in. Three people perished in the accident in December last year.
Amushelelo demands that Shikongo should not be allowed to continue his duties while police investigations are underway.
Amushelelo was found guilty in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in 2015 of driving without a licence and causing an accident in 2010 due to over-speeding. One person died and another was left paralysed.
Furthermore, the letter states that Amushelelo’s posts suggest that Shikongo is a thug who has no respect for the law, and will stop at nothing to break the law. He said Shikongo is not fit to be inspector general of the Namibian Police Force.
Shikongo further stated that the social media posts propose he has no respect for adherence to proper procedure in the concerned investigations, and that he is corrupt and unfit the hold the position he is in. Also, the demand letter strongly refutes Amushelelo’s allegations that Shikongo has given instructions for him (Amushelelo) to be killed.
The police chief stated that the posts, which were published on Amushelelo’s social media accounts on 9 February this year, wrongfully, intentionally and unlawfully posit that Shikongo is abusing his office, and is ordering the police to kill Amushelelo.
Through his lawyer, Shikongo thus asserts that Amushelelo’s posts are careless, scandalous, extreme and made with the sole intention to unfairly subject Shikongo to the court of public opinion, and to lower his esteem in the eyes of right-thinking members of the community in the country. Shikongo further emphasises that as a result of the postings and with regard to the circumstances of the matter – combined with the fact that Amushelelo is a politician with a considerable following – the letter the inspector general has suffered damages to his dignity and self-worth in the amount of N$1 million.
– rrouth@nepc.com.na