Cop claims he tried to trap prosecutor in $60 000 bribery case

Suspended detective warrant officer Jafet Simon told the Swakopmund Regional Court that he had been planning a sting operation when he handed over N$30 000 in an envelope to a state prosecutor – money intended, according to the State, as a bribe to derail a child trafficking and rape case.Simon is on trial for attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice and for corruption. The case is linked to his alleged efforts to secure the acquittal of Pakistani national Farhat Khatri, who has since been convicted and jailed for sex trafficking and rape of a minor.Played alongTestifying in his defence on Thursday, Simon denied any intent to bribe the prosecutor, alleging instead that the prosecutor had solicited the bribe and that he had played along to facilitate her arrest.“I planned to arrest her at the final handover,” Simon told the court. “I wanted the money copied so it could be used as evidence.”Simon said he received a withdrawal statement from the victim via Khatri, which he described as “unsigned and uncertified”. He claimed Khatri sent it to him after receiving it from an unnamed third party, along with a message that the victim no longer wanted to pursue the case and wanted to be paid N$60 000.He said he photographed the unsigned statement to verify its authenticity and warned Khatri that witness interference could violate his bail conditions.Fake nameSimon also denied forging or commissioning the final signed withdrawal statement, which bore the stamp of the Narraville police station. He said he did not know the name of the commissioner and had never been stationed in that area.The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigating officer earlier testified that Simon may have used a false name to commission the document – a claim Simon rejected.The state alleges that Simon, Khatri, and an unidentified third suspect plotted to convince the underage victim to drop the charges. According to the prosecution, Simon instructed the third suspect to enter a romantic relationship with the girl to persuade her.Simon denied any involvement with the victim and said he never met or spoke to her.He testified that Khatri and the prosecutor met in a car on 8 September 2020, where a cash payment of N$30 000 was made.“I was shocked,” he said. “I thought bribery was taking place right there.”Simon said he told Khatri not to pay any more money unless he made certified copies of it, which Simon would then use to arrest the prosecutor. “I never planned to reward her – only to arrest her,” he said.According to Simon, the prosecutor had pushed for a car in exchange for the passport, which she later said should be converted into cash to avoid a paper trail.Simon told the court that on 23 September, he delivered the second half of the bribe – the remaining N$30 000 – and lunch to the prosecutor at her office. Moments later, ACC officers intercepted and arrested him.He claimed he did not count the money, took Khatri at his word that copies had been made, and only used N$200 to buy newspapers and juice.“I deny bribing anyone. I was planning a trap,” Simon said.Further cross-examinationThe court heard that Khatri was convicted and jailed alongside two other suspects in the sex trafficking case. The trial is scheduled to continue on 29 September with further cross-examination. Simon is out on bail.In May 2018, Pakistani national Khatri, then aged 29, was arrested in Walvis Bay along with two Namibian women — later identified as Melody Ortner and Jaezuruka “Beverly” Kamongua — on charges of human trafficking and rape of a 16-year-old girl. The victim testified that she was recruited and groomed by the two women and then sexually exploited by Khatri on three separate occasions.Khatri admitted having sexual relations with the girl but asserted he believed she was an adult and had consented. He denied knowing she was under the legal age of adulthood. Magistrate Gaynor Poulton rejected his defence, finding the victim highly vulnerable due to her age — constituting coercive circumstances under the Combating of Rape Act — and convicted all three accused on both trafficking and rape charges. Each received a combined effective sentence of 20 years: 15 years for rape and five years for trafficking.Khatri appealed his conviction and sentence. In June 2024, the Windhoek High Court dismissed the appeal, upholding the conviction and sentencing.

Cop claims he tried to trap prosecutor in $60 000 bribery case

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-07

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Cop claims he tried to trap prosecutor in $60 000 bribery case

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-07

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