Court grants bail to Namugongo

CORRUPTION suspect Sackey Namugongo was released on bail of N$20 000 on Friday, five days after he was arrested on charges that he allegedly used his position as a senior official in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to sell fake gambling licences.

Namugongo (54) was granted bail during his second appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s court on charges of corruption, fraud, forgery and uttering. He made a first appearance on Monday last week, a day after his arrest at Hosea Kutako International Airport as he returned to Namibia following a trip to South Africa.The charges on which investigators attached to the Anti-Corruption Commission arrested Namugongo relate to allegations that he has been running a corrupt gambling-licence racket – he has allegedly been selling gambling licences for thousands of Namibia dollars each.As much as N$1 million could have been paid for these illegal, fake licences over the past three months, the ACC claimed last week.Namugongo, who is the Deputy Director of Wildlife Management in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, has to appear in court again on December 1.Namugongo’s release on bail came with a set of conditions attached.Under these conditions, requested by Public Prosecutor Petrus Grusshaber, Namugongo has to report to the ACC’s investigator working on his case, Detective Inspector Phelem Masule, each Wednesday and Friday afternoon.He also had to surrender all his travel documents to the investigator, and has been warned not to apply for new travel documents until his case has been finalised.Namugongo has further been warned not to interfere with the investigation, and specifically not to interfere with eight named witnesses in the matter.He will also not be allowed to leave the district of Windhoek without Masule’s permission.Lawyer Rodgers Kauta represented Namugongo.He made a first appearance on Monday last week, a day after his arrest at Hosea Kutako International Airport as he returned to Namibia following a trip to South Africa.The charges on which investigators attached to the Anti-Corruption Commission arrested Namugongo relate to allegations that he has been running a corrupt gambling-licence racket – he has allegedly been selling gambling licences for thousands of Namibia dollars each.As much as N$1 million could have been paid for these illegal, fake licences over the past three months, the ACC claimed last week.Namugongo, who is the Deputy Director of Wildlife Management in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, has to appear in court again on December 1.Namugongo’s release on bail came with a set of conditions attached.Under these conditions, requested by Public Prosecutor Petrus Grusshaber, Namugongo has to report to the ACC’s investigator working on his case, Detective Inspector Phelem Masule, each Wednesday and Friday afternoon.He also had to surrender all his travel documents to the investigator, and has been warned not to apply for new travel documents until his case has been finalised.Namugongo has further been warned not to interfere with the investigation, and specifically not to interfere with eight named witnesses in the matter.He will also not be allowed to leave the district of Windhoek without Masule’s permission.Lawyer Rodgers Kauta represented Namugongo.