Magistrate arrested for fraud

ONE of Namibia’s most senior Magistrates was arrested on Monday and made to appear in court on charges of fraud and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

Magistrate Hosea Noabeb, who is in charge of Regional Courts in the Karas and Hardap Regions, appeared in the Mariental Magistrate’s Court on Monday. A relatively paltry sum of N$1 230 in subsistence and travel allowances that Noabeb is accused of wrongfully claiming from the Ministry of Justice last year lies at the root of the charges.While Noabeb is, like anyone else, presumed innocent until proven guilty, the Magistrates’ Commission is considering suspending him from his position pending the outcome of the case, the Chief: Lower Courts in the Ministry of Justice, Petrus Unengu, said on enquiry yesterday.The 50-year-old Magistrate Noabeb holds the position of a Deputy Chief: Lower Courts in the Ministry of Justice.He presides over the Regional Courts in the Hardap and Karas Regions.He appeared before Magistrate Desmond Beukes on charges of fraud, alternatively theft, and obstructing or defeating the course of justice, alternatively attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.It is alleged that he received a subsistence and travel allowance from the Ministry of Justice that was meant to cover expenses that he incurred during two weeks that he was supposed to perform duties during a session of the Regional Court at Mariental in January last year.However, it is claimed that on two of those days – January 10 and 11 last year – Noabeb was not present at the Mariental Regional Court as required, with the result that he did not perform official functions on those two days.Having allegedly not worked at Mariental on those two days, and having allegedly also not performed official duties on January 9 last year, it is charged, he was not entitled to receive S&T money for those three days.He received a total of N$1 230 in S&T allowances for those three days, and failed to report to the Ministry of Justice that he was not entitled to this, it is claimed in the first charge against Noabeb.In the second charge, it is alleged that Noabeb defeated or obstructed the course of justice by not performing his official duties in the Mariental Regional Court on January 10 and 11 last year and by not informing his superiors of this, with the result that cases that had been set down to be heard in that court on those days could not proceed as scheduled.Noabeb indicated to Magistrate Beukes during his appearance on Monday that he wished to get the services of a legal practitioner before he pleads to the charges.His case was postponed to June 30, and he was granted bail of N$1 000.A relatively paltry sum of N$1 230 in subsistence and travel allowances that Noabeb is accused of wrongfully claiming from the Ministry of Justice last year lies at the root of the charges.While Noabeb is, like anyone else, presumed innocent until proven guilty, the Magistrates’ Commission is considering suspending him from his position pending the outcome of the case, the Chief: Lower Courts in the Ministry of Justice, Petrus Unengu, said on enquiry yesterday. The 50-year-old Magistrate Noabeb holds the position of a Deputy Chief: Lower Courts in the Ministry of Justice.He presides over the Regional Courts in the Hardap and Karas Regions.He appeared before Magistrate Desmond Beukes on charges of fraud, alternatively theft, and obstructing or defeating the course of justice, alternatively attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.It is alleged that he received a subsistence and travel allowance from the Ministry of Justice that was meant to cover expenses that he incurred during two weeks that he was supposed to perform duties during a session of the Regional Court at Mariental in January last year.However, it is claimed that on two of those days – January 10 and 11 last year – Noabeb was not present at the Mariental Regional Court as required, with the result that he did not perform official functions on those two days.Having allegedly not worked at Mariental on those two days, and having allegedly also not performed official duties on January 9 last year, it is charged, he was not entitled to receive S&T money for those three days.He received a total of N$1 230 in S&T allowances for those three days, and failed to report to the Ministry of Justice that he was not entitled to this, it is claimed in the first charge against Noabeb.In the second charge, it is alleged that Noabeb defeated or obstructed the course of justice by not performing his official duties in the Mariental Regional Court on January 10 and 11 last year and by not informing his superiors of this, with the result that cases that had been set down to be heard in that court on those days could not proceed as scheduled.Noabeb indicated to Magistrate Beukes during his appearance on Monday that he wished to get the services of a legal practitioner before he pleads to the charges.His case was postponed to June 30, and he was granted bail of N$1 000.