Corruption case: No receipt for N$32 000 in cash

SENIOR Ministry of Environment and Tourism official Sackey Namugongo had no receipt to issue when he received a cash payment of N$32 000 in his office for his “assistance” to a gambling house licence applicant, it was testified in Namugongo’s corruption trial in the Windhoek Regional Court yesterday.

Namugongo failed to give gambling house licence applicant Fillimon Erastus a receipt for a payment of N$32 000 in cash that Erastus handed over to him in his office on April 10 2006 – but he did provide Erastus with his bank account number so that further payments could be deposited into his account, Erastus testified on the second day of Namugongo’s trial. Namugongo, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, is on trial on 20 charges of corruption and 20 counts of fraud.He also faces alternative charges of theft, forgery and uttering.He has pleaded not guilty to all 40 main charges he faces in the trial before Magistrate Sarel Jacobs.His lawyer, Titus Mbaeva, declined giving a plea explanation to the Magistrate yesterday, but told the court that Namugongo’s defence would become clear as the trial proceeded.Erastus is the fifth witness to testify.All four witnesses who have testified – the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs, William Amagulu, who was previously the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Sonia Angermund, who is a Chief Control Officer in the Gambling and Casinos Division of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Vataapi Kauuova, who is a Control Officer in the same division and retired Deputy Director Chris Jansen, who had been in control of gambling and casinos division – told the Magistrate that a moratorium on the issuing of gambling house licences was in force in 2006.This meant that the Ministry was not accepting or processing any new applications for such licences.The moratorium has been in force since the start of 1997, and it is still in place, the court was told.Namugongo is accused of having accepted a series of payments from people who applied for gambling house licences during 2006.Erastus testified that during March 2006 he landed in Namugongo’s office when he went to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to make an enquiry about applying for a gambling house licence.Namugongo told him that he had to complete a form and had to return this to him together with the building plans for the premises where he intended to set up gambling houses, Erastus testified.He said he returned to Namugongo’s office on April 10 2006.He had money, from the bars that he has at Swakopmund and Okahandja, with him, he said.After checking over his applications, Namugongo “informed me that for the assistance rendered I should give him 32 000 Namibia dollars,” Erastus told the Magistrate.He said he agreed and told Namugongo that he would be able to get the money.Namugongo told him in return that since he was applying for three licences, the full amount to be paid for those licences would be between N$40 000 and N$60 000, Erastus said.He told the court that after he had told Namugongo that he would be able to pay him the required amount, Namugongo asked him if he would be paying in cash or by cheque.He told Namugongo that he would be paying with cash.Namugongo then printed out a form that he was supposed to take along, and told him that he had to pay the rest of the money into Namugongo’s bank account, Erastus said.He said Namugongo also gave him his bank account number, as well as his business card, and told him that if there were any other business people that needed his assistance, he should give Namugongo’s phone number to them.Erastus said he handed Namugongo N$32 000 in cash on that day in his office.”I handed the money over to him, into his hands,” he said.”He informed me that there was no receipt for the assistance that he rendered.He gave me the form, and also his business card,” Erastus said.Erastus claimed he went on to pay a total of N$60 000 to Namugongo.According to bank deposit slips that were submitted to Magistrate Jacobs as evidence in the trial, Erastus made two deposits of N$5 000 each into Namugongo’s bank account on April 11 2006 and August 2 2006.On April 21 2006, a deposit of N$3 000 was also made into Namugongo’s account.This deposit was made on his instructions by one of his employees at Okahandja, Erastus said.He is set to continue giving evidence today.Deputy Prosecutor General Orben Sibeya is prosecuting.Namugongo, who was arrested on September 17 2006, is free on bail of N$20 000.Namugongo, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, is on trial on 20 charges of corruption and 20 counts of fraud. He also faces alternative charges of theft, forgery and uttering.He has pleaded not guilty to all 40 main charges he faces in the trial before Magistrate Sarel Jacobs.His lawyer, Titus Mbaeva, declined giving a plea explanation to the Magistrate yesterday, but told the court that Namugongo’s defence would become clear as the trial proceeded.Erastus is the fifth witness to testify.All four witnesses who have testified – the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs, William Amagulu, who was previously the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Sonia Angermund, who is a Chief Control Officer in the Gambling and Casinos Division of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Vataapi Kauuova, who is a Control Officer in the same division and retired Deputy Director Chris Jansen, who had been in control of gambling and casinos division – told the Magistrate that a moratorium on the issuing of gambling house licences was in force in 2006.This meant that the Ministry was not accepting or processing any new applications for such licences.The moratorium has been in force since the start of 1997, and it is still in place, the court was told.Namugongo is accused of having accepted a series of payments from people who applied for gambling house licences during 2006.Erastus testified that during March 2006 he landed in Namugongo’s office when he went to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to make an enquiry about applying for a gambling house licence.Namugongo told him that he had to complete a form and had to return this to him together with the building plans for the premises where he intended to set up gambling houses, Erastus testified.He said he returned to Namugongo’s office on April 10 2006.He had money, from the bars that he has at Swakopmund and Okahandja, with him, he said.After checking over his applications, Namugongo “informed me that for the assistance rendered I should give him 32 000 Namibia dollars,” Erastus told the Magistrate.He said he agreed and told Namugongo that he would be able to get the money.Namugongo told him in return that since he was applying for three licences, the full amount to be paid for those licences would be between N$40 000 and N$60 000, Erastus said.He told the court that after he had told Namugongo that he would be able to pay him the required amount, Namugongo asked him if he would be paying in cash or by cheque.He told Namugongo that he would be paying with cash.Namugongo then printed out a form that he was supposed to take along, and told him that he had to pay the rest of the money into Namugongo’s bank account, Erastus said.He said Namugongo also gave him his bank account number, as well as his business card, and told him that if there were any other business people that needed his assistance, he should give Namugongo’s phone number to them.Erastus said he handed Namugongo N$32 000 in cash on that day in his office.”I handed the money over to him, into his hands,” he said.”He informed me that there was no receipt for the assistance that he rendered.He gave me the form, and also his business card,” Erastus said.Erastus claimed he went on to pay a total of N$60 000 to Namugongo.According to bank deposit slips that were submitted to Magistrate Jacobs as evidence in the trial, Erastus made two deposits of N$5 000 each into Namugongo’s bank account on April 11 2006 and August 2 2006.On April 21 2006, a deposit of N$3 000 was also made into Namugongo’s account.This deposit was made on his instructions by one of his employees at Okahandja, Erastus said.He is set to continue giving evidence today.Deputy Prosecutor General Orben Sibeya is prosecuting.Namugongo, who was arrested on September 17 2006, is free on bail of N$20 000.