Magistrate Dinnah Usiku imposed the sentences on former Police officer Albertus So-Oabeb and a fellow Windhoek resident, Charlie Swartz, in the Windhoek Regional Court on Thursday.

It concluded the final chapter in a long-running trial that started two years ago with pleas of not guilty being offered by the duo.

The charges sprang from accusations that they and a former Police Constable, Alfeus Barman, blackmailed an Angolan national who was involved in a road accident in Namibia by threatening that he would be arrested and prosecuted if he did not pay them thousands of Namibian dollars.

Barman's case was separated from that of Swartz and So-Oabeb after he admitted his guilt.

In her judgement, Magistrate Usiku recounted that the complainant, Josef Manuel, told the court he had been involved in a car accident in which someone was injured.

He left the accident scene after bystanders threatened to attack him because of the injuries sustained by the person that he had run into with the vehicle.

Manuel was staying at Swartz's house at the time, and told Swartz about his predicament.

On February 13 2001, a few days after the accident, So-Oabeb and another Policeman arrived at Swartz's house with the news that they had come to arrest him on charges related to the accident.

Swartz, however, encouraged Manuel to try to sweet-talk the Policemen, and helped by translating the conversation for the Angolan.

The Police officers then struck a deal that Manuel could buy himself out of the trouble by paying them some N$20 000.

He handed So-Oabeb N$2 000, as well as US$500, on that occasion, with a promise that he would pay the rest of the money once he had borrowed more funds, Manuel testified.

Not trusting the arrangement, though, Manuel approached the Police and reported the scam.

A trap was set at a bed and breakfast establishment in Windhoek, and on February 15 2001 the Police officers gathered evidence of Barman and Swartz trying to get Manuel to hand them a further N$5 000.

Magistrate Usiku convicted Swartz on two charges of extortion related to both the February 13 and February 15 2001 incidents.

So-Oabeb was found guilty of corruption because of his role in the events of February 13 2001.

Both men were also convicted of defeating or obstructing the course of justice for receiving the N$2 000 and US$500 from Manuel in return for not having him arrested and prosecuted because of the road accident.

The Magistrate sentenced So-Oabeb to three years' imprisonment for corruption, and to a six-month jail term for defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

Swartz was given an effective jail term of two years on the first extortion charge, an effective one year for the other extortion charge, and an additional six months for defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

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