'ACC inserted lies'
There was explosive evidence yesterday in the corruption trial of Katrina Hanse-Himarwa.
The fourth witness in basic education minister and former Hardap governor Katrina Hanse-Himarwa's corruption trial struggled to defend or recognise her own statement in the Windhoek High Court yesterday.
Miriam Nansungu Salyani, an urban and rural development ministry staff member who formed part of the ministerial team dispatched to Mariental in December 2014 to verify the beneficiary list, was cross-examined by Hanse-Himarwa's lawyer, Sisa Namandje.
Not only did she reject some of the content of her statement, but also struggled and often failed to answer Namandje's questions.
When confronted about the quality of her statement, suggesting that it looked either rehearsed or as if she was made to sign a manufactured statement, she confirmed she had signed a document given to her by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Asked by Namandje whether there were lies in her statement, she said “yes”.
“Some words were not mine. I just signed the statement when the ACC gave it to me,” she said.
She could not answer why she never confronted the ACC about the “lies” in her statement.
Hanse-Himarwa stands accused of having interfered to replace the names of two beneficiaries of the mass housing project at Mariental during December 2014.
She has pleaded not guilty.
Namandje told the court that the beneficiary list was riddled with unfairness long before it was ever presented to his client.
The first witness called to the stand on Monday was urban and rural development permanent secretary Nghidinua Daniel.
He reiterated that the mass housing beneficiaries were chosen on a “first come, first served” basis to ensure fairness and transparency for those who had applied first for the provision of low-cost housing in the different regions.
However, Salyani said yesterday that the criteria used for the Mariental houses were determined at the town under the guidance of ministerial delegation head Merrow Thaddeus.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Miriam Nansungu Salyani, an urban and rural development ministry staff member who formed part of the ministerial team dispatched to Mariental in December 2014 to verify the beneficiary list, was cross-examined by Hanse-Himarwa's lawyer, Sisa Namandje.
Not only did she reject some of the content of her statement, but also struggled and often failed to answer Namandje's questions.
When confronted about the quality of her statement, suggesting that it looked either rehearsed or as if she was made to sign a manufactured statement, she confirmed she had signed a document given to her by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Asked by Namandje whether there were lies in her statement, she said “yes”.
“Some words were not mine. I just signed the statement when the ACC gave it to me,” she said.
She could not answer why she never confronted the ACC about the “lies” in her statement.
Hanse-Himarwa stands accused of having interfered to replace the names of two beneficiaries of the mass housing project at Mariental during December 2014.
She has pleaded not guilty.
Namandje told the court that the beneficiary list was riddled with unfairness long before it was ever presented to his client.
The first witness called to the stand on Monday was urban and rural development permanent secretary Nghidinua Daniel.
He reiterated that the mass housing beneficiaries were chosen on a “first come, first served” basis to ensure fairness and transparency for those who had applied first for the provision of low-cost housing in the different regions.
However, Salyani said yesterday that the criteria used for the Mariental houses were determined at the town under the guidance of ministerial delegation head Merrow Thaddeus.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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