Sentenced court officials out on bail

Four Oshakati Magistrate's Court officials arrested in 2014 for using their offices for gratification and defeating the course of justice, who were sentenced last Friday, have been granted bail pending appeal.

The officials are three former court interpreters, Juuso Matheus, Helvi Hamukoto, Gervasius Hidimokkanya, and a police inspector, Shithigona Sevelia Ndeutenge.

Magistrate Konjore Unchen sentenced Matheus to 48 months in prison and 12 months were conditionally suspended for five years.

Hamukoto, Hidimokkanya and Ndeutenge were sentenced to 24 months in prison, of which six months were conditionally suspended for five years.

Following their sentencing, the four applied for bail pending appeal and each was granted N$7 000 by Magistrate Karrel Muyeghu.

In November 2012, Matheus received N$2 600 from Gideon Shilongo who had gone to pay a fine for a traffic offence at the Oshakati Magistrate's Court.

On that day, Shilongo found the office for payments closed and he left the money with Matheus who promised that he would pay on his behalf.

Matheus did not pay the money and later Shilongo was arrested because of the unpaid ticket.

Shilongo then told the court he had left the money with a court official whom he identified as Matheus.

On 14 March 2013, Hamukoto, Hidimokkanya and Ndeutenge approached the first witness in this case and asked her to tell Shilongo not to disclose that Matheus was the person whom he had given the money.

The matter was later investigated the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the investigation led to arrest of the four on 23 July 2014.

KENYA KAMBOWE