PM’s swindler awaits sentence

A SWINDLER who managed to bag Prime Minister Nahas Angula as one of his victims is due to be sentenced on three counts of fraud in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

After more than a year and a half in Police custody, Windhoek resident Cliff Renton pleaded guilty to three fraud charges last week. He was scheduled to be sentenced by Magistrate Helvi Shilemba on Friday, but she then postponed the sentencing to tomorrow.Renton initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in March last year. After remaining in custody awaiting his trial for another year, he changed his plea to one of guilty on all three charges on Tuesday last week.He admitted that he defrauded three people after he had placed an advertisement in which he was offering animals for sale in a newspaper on April 22 2010.Angula was one of the people duped by Renton. Unlike Renton’s other two victims, though, Angula did not lose any money as a result of Renton’s swindle.Renton admitted that he defrauded one of the people who had reacted to his advertisement, Christiaan du Plessis, of N$39 150 after he had agreed to sell eland antelope, ostriches and blesbuck to Du Plessis. The animals were never delivered to Du Plessis, who had paid a deposit of N$39 150 into a bank account of Renton.Another of Renton’s victims, Dr S.C. Burger, agreed to buy game from Renton at a total price of N$47 000. He paid a deposit of N$5 000 into an account of Renton – and also did not receive any of the animals he thought he had bought.Angula similarly thought he had a deal with Renton to buy 20 goats, a goat ram and two Damara sheep rams from Renton at a total price of N$23 000. The money was transferred into Renton’s account on April 26 2010, but this transaction was reversed before Renton could withdraw the funds, with the result that Angula did not suffer an actual financial loss in the end.Renton asked Magistrate Shilemba last week not to sentence him to a direct term of imprisonment. He told her that he wants to be given an opportunity to find work again so that he can earn money and repay Du Plessis and Burger.The court was told that Renton had his own building company at the time he committed the fraud.Renton’s defence lawyer, Chris Brandt, reminded the magistrate that Renton, who was arrested in June 2010, has been in custody for 22 months by now. If he is sent to prison he would not be able to repay the complainants’ money, Brandt said.Deputy Prosecutor General Jackson Kuutondokwa argued that Renton was guilty of serious offences. The fact that Renton did not actually benefit financially in respect of one of the charges does not make the offence less serious, Kuutondokwa argued.He asked the magistrate to impose a prison sentence on Renton. In addition to that, Renton should be sentenced to a further jail term, suspended on condition that he repays the money to Du Plessis and Burger, Kuutondokwa suggested.