Geingos’ slander lawsuit goes for mediation

A DEFAMATION case in which first lady Monica Geingos is suing an Ohangwena region mobiliser of the Independent Patriots for Change for N$350 000 has been referred for mediation.

The case was referred for court-connected mediation – a procedure in which litigants meet through a mediator to see if they can reach a settlement in their matter – during a case management hearing before Windhoek High Court judge Orben Sibeya last week.

Geingos, represented by lawyer Sisa Namandje, filed the lawsuit against Abed Hishoono, who is a teacher in the Ohangwena region, on 16 February this year.

The first lady is claiming that Hishoono is also a mobiliser for the Independent Patriots for Change and that he made an audio recording which was widely circulated and in which he made “false suggestions, innuendos, insinuations [or] statements” about her.

Among the false statements she claims he made was that she had a business interest in the company Westair Aviation through which she was clandestinely involved in the collapse of Air Namibia, and that she had been the girlfriend of one Hatuikulipi who supposedly had been involved in arranging her marriage to president Hage Geingob.

In the claim filed at the court, Geingos says Hishoono’s remarks were false and defamatory and were intended to depict her as corrupt, greedy, selfish and as putting her own interest above the general interest of the Namibian people. She also says his remarks were intended to create an impression that she corruptly and inappropriately conspired with other people to achieve the collapse of Air Namibia and that she corruptly and inappropriately uses her influence to the disadvantage of the Namibian people.

The sole purpose of Hishoono’s alleged false allegations was to injure and harm her reputation and dignity for political reasons, Geingos also claims.

She is asking the court to award a payment of N$350 000 from Hishoono to her, to declare that his statements in the recording were “entirely false and defamatory”, and to direct Hishoono to unconditionally retract his statements and to apologise to her within five days after the court has issued its order.

Hishoono, who is represented by lawyer Henry Shimutwikeni, has given notice that he intends to oppose Geingos’ legal action against himself.

Geingos stated in February that she does not have a stake in Westair Aviation. She said the private equity company Stimulus Investments, of which she was a founder and managing director, was a minority shareholder in Westair Aviation, but had sold its 29% stake in the company in February 2011.

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