Public prosecutor in the dock

ONE of Namibia’s most senior public prosecutors, Deputy Prosecutor General Jackson Kuutondokwa, found himself on the receiving end of justice for a change yesterday when he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor.

Kuutondokwa pleaded guilty before Acting Judge Kato van Niekerk in the High Court in Windhoek. After biting the bullet and admitting his mistake, the Deputy Prosecutor General faces sentencing next Thursday.He admitted he had been under the influence of liquor while driving his Mercedes-Benz in Fleming Street, Windhoek West, late on the evening of December 8 2002.Kuutondokwa was charged with driving under the influence after his car had crashed into a precast concrete boundary wall on one of the residential properties in Fleming Street.With the Deputy PG in the uncomfortable position of being in the dock – a place he normally expects to see the people he prosecutes – his defence counsel, Albert Strydom, did the talking for him yesterday.Strydom told Acting Judge Van Niekerk that Kuutondokwa clearly accepted full responsibility for his conduct, for which he had shown remorse.He had co-operated fully with the Police, and had, of his own volition, compensated the property owner for the damaged wall, Strydom stated.Kuutondokwa’s guilty plea in itself was also an indication that he had mended his ways, he added.Kuutondokwa regarded the whole incident as a very negative experience for him, Strydom said.He told the judge that his client had stated he did not want to make any excuses about his conduct, but wanted to express his apologies and remorse over the incident Public Prosecutor Lovisa Indongo drew Acting Judge Van Niekerk’s attention to the fact that driving under the influence of liquor was prevalent in Namibia, and had serious effects on the country.She noted that the 1999 Road Traffic and Transport Act imposed a mandatory three-month licence suspension on a person convicted of this offence for the first time.After biting the bullet and admitting his mistake, the Deputy Prosecutor General faces sentencing next Thursday. He admitted he had been under the influence of liquor while driving his Mercedes-Benz in Fleming Street, Windhoek West, late on the evening of December 8 2002. Kuutondokwa was charged with driving under the influence after his car had crashed into a precast concrete boundary wall on one of the residential properties in Fleming Street. With the Deputy PG in the uncomfortable position of being in the dock – a place he normally expects to see the people he prosecutes – his defence counsel, Albert Strydom, did the talking for him yesterday. Strydom told Acting Judge Van Niekerk that Kuutondokwa clearly accepted full responsibility for his conduct, for which he had shown remorse. He had co-operated fully with the Police, and had, of his own volition, compensated the property owner for the damaged wall, Strydom stated. Kuutondokwa’s guilty plea in itself was also an indication that he had mended his ways, he added. Kuutondokwa regarded the whole incident as a very negative experience for him, Strydom said. He told the judge that his client had stated he did not want to make any excuses about his conduct, but wanted to express his apologies and remorse over the incident Public Prosecutor Lovisa Indongo drew Acting Judge Van Niekerk’s attention to the fact that driving under the influence of liquor was prevalent in Namibia, and had serious effects on the country. She noted that the 1999 Road Traffic and Transport Act imposed a mandatory three-month licence suspension on a person convicted of this offence for the first time.