WINDHOEK – The Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday convicted two men after they admitted guilt for offering a bribe to a police investigating officer.
During their first court appearance, Siyong Xu, 55, and Huaifen Yang, 54, pleaded guilty on a count of corruptly offering or giving gratification to an agent as an inducement, a charge under the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The two were arrested on September 05 at the Old Power Station, Windhoek in a sting operation staged by the ACC after they bribed a Detective Inspector of the Anti-money Laundering and Combating of Financing of Terrorism Division of the Namibian police with N$4000.
According to court documents, the pair wanted the investigating officer to stop investigating and close investigations into a N$1 million money laundering case against Huaifen who is an operations manager at a local construction company.
In a plea explanation read by their defence attorney Mbanga Siyomunji, Siyong and his co-accused informed the court that they admit that they offered N$4000 to an officer for her to stop the investigations. The two explained that their actions have caused them a great deal of pain, sorrow and embarrassment.
“I feel remorseful of my actions and may the court impose a fine or time in prison,” said Siyong.
Siyong and his co accused were released on bail of N$30 000 respectively with a warning to appear in court this week. Public prosecutor Marcus Angula is yet to present mitigating factors when the case returns to court after Magistrate Vanessa Stanley postponed the case to September 12 for sentencing.
Having been found guilty, Siyong and his co-accused face up to 25 years imprisonment, a fine not exceeding N$500 000 or both.