Witnesses in Namugongo trial want money back

“I WANT him to give me back my money.” N$14 000, please, to be exact.

Ministry of Environment and Tourism Deputy Director Sackey Namugongo (56) did not exactly reach for his wallet, though, when he heard the ninth witness in his fraud and corruption trial in the Windhoek Regional Court voice this request from the witness stand on Friday. Sitting in the dock across the courtroom from the witness box, Namugongo kept the poker face that he has maintained since his trial began on Tuesday as State witness Nambele Petrus told Magistrate Sarel Jacobs that he wants Namugongo to pay back the N$14 000 that Petrus claims to have paid Namugongo for a gambling-house licence in August 2006.Namugongo also remained poker-faced when the previous witness, Otjiwarongo resident Tiranus Tshishome, likewise told the Magistrate that he wants N$15 500 that he paid to Namugongo for a gambling-house licence to be given back to him.”What I wanted was a licence.Then, if there is no licence, I have to get my money back,” Tshishome said.Namugongo has pleaded not guilty to 20 charges of corruption, alternatively theft, and an additional 20 counts of fraud, alternatively forgery and uttering.The charges are based on allegations that from March to September 2006, Namugongo accepted large payments of money, totalling N$365 000, from a total of 18 people who wanted to apply with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to be issued with gambling house licences.At the time, though, a moratorium on the processing and granting of gambling-house licences had been in force since the beginning of 1997, and this moratorium is still in place, the Magistrate has heard during the trial so far.Petrus and Tshishome claim to have been among the 18 gambling licence applicants who handed over money to Namugongo and never received the licences they applied for.Two previous witnesses – Fillimon Erastus, who told the court he runs bars at Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Okahandja, and Swakopmund shop and bar owner Petrus Hangula – also told the court that they paid Namugongo N$60 000 and N$20 000 respectively as supposed gambling licence fees, without receiving either receipts or licences.All of these witnesses have told the Magistrate that they were left out of pocket after handing over the money to Namugongo.According to Tshishome, he handed over N$15 500 in cash to Namugongo at the latter’s house in Windhoek in June 2006.Namugongo was ill at the time, but had moved his work computer to an office at his house to continue working, he said.Tshishome said he had known Namugongo since both of them left the country in 1974 to go into exile to fight for the liberation of Namibia.He said after handing his gambling-house licence application and N$15 500 to Namugongo in the presence of a witness who saw the transaction taking place, he demanded a receipt from Namugongo.Namugongo however told him that there was no need for a receipt, because a letter that he was about to hand him would serve as a sort of receipt, Tshishome testified.The letter, signed by Namugongo and stamped with a Ministry of Environment and Tourism date stamp, acknowledged receipt of an application from Tshishome and stated that the application would be processed and a gambling-house licence issued to him once the moratorium was lifted.Having received the letter from Namugongo, he understood Namugongo to say to him that, on the strength of the letter, he could proceed to buy gambling machines and start operating them at his bar at Otjiwarongo, Tshishome told the Magistrate.He said Namugongo told him that if the Police came to bother him about the gambling machines, he should just direct them to Namugongo.Namugongo is denying that he had said this, his defence lawyer, Titus Mbaeva, told Tshishome.He is also denying that he had received the money from Tshishome, Mbaeva said.Namugongo is further denying that he received money from Petrus, Mbaeva said.According to Petrus, he handed over N$14 000 in cash to Namugongo in his office in Windhoek in the presence of four witnesses.One of these people, who applied for a gambling-house licence at the same time, also handed Namugongo N$28 000 on the same occasion, Petrus testified.Namugongo did not give him a receipt for the money, but told him that a letter, dated August 14 2006 and acknowledging receipt of his application, would serve as such a receipt as well, Petrus said.He said after he heard that Namugongo had been arrested, he realised that he had lost the money he paid to the official.”I want him to give me back my money,” Petrus told the court.Namugongo is denying that he had received money from Petrus as well, Mbaeva told the witness.If that is Namugongo’s version, then where did he get the letter that Namugongo signed from, Petrus asked in reply to that.With nine witnesses having testified for the prosecution by Friday, the trial was postponed to February 9 to 13, and 23 to 27, next year.A further 12 State witnesses who were present at court were warned to again return to court on February 9.Deputy Prosecutor General Orben Sibeya is prosecuting.Namugongo is free on bail of N$20 000.Sitting in the dock across the courtroom from the witness box, Namugongo kept the poker face that he has maintained since his trial began on Tuesday as State witness Nambele Petrus told Magistrate Sarel Jacobs that he wants Namugongo to pay back the N$14 000 that Petrus claims to have paid Namugongo for a gambling-house licence in August 2006.Namugongo also remained poker-faced when the previous witness, Otjiwarongo resident Tiranus Tshishome, likewise told the Magistrate that he wants N$15 500 that he paid to Namugongo for a gambling-house licence to be given back to him.”What I wanted was a licence.Then, if there is no licence, I have to get my money back,” Tshishome said.Namugongo has pleaded not guilty to 20 charges of corruption, alternatively theft, and an additional 20 counts of fraud, alternatively forgery and uttering.The charges are based on allegations that from March to September 2006, Namugongo accepted large payments of money, totalling N$365 000, from a total of 18 people who wanted to apply with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to be issued with gambling house licences.At the time, though, a moratorium on the processing and granting of gambling-house licences had been in force since the beginning of 1997, and this moratorium is still in place, the Magistrate has heard during the trial so far.Petrus and Tshishome claim to have been among the 18 gambling licence applicants who handed over money to Namugongo and never received the licences they applied for. Two previous witnesses – Fillimon Erastus, who told the court he runs bars at Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Okahandja, and Swakopmund shop and bar owner Petrus Hangula – also told the court that they paid Namugongo N$60 000 and N$20 000 respectively as supposed gambling licence fees, without receiving either receipts or licences.All of these witnesses have told the Magistrate that they were left out of pocket after handing over the money to Namugongo.According to Tshishome, he handed over N$15 500 in cash to Namugongo at the latter’s house in Windhoek in June 2006.Namugongo was ill at the time, but had moved his work computer to an office at his house to continue working, he said.Tshishome said he had known Namugongo since both of them left the country in 1974 to go into exile to fight for the liberation of Namibia.He said after handing his gambling-house licence application and N$15 500 to Namugongo in the presence of a witness who saw the transaction taking place, he demanded a receipt from Namugongo.Namugongo however told him that there was no need for a receipt, because a letter that he was about to hand him would serve as a sort of receipt, Tshishome testified.The letter, signed by Namugongo and stamped with a Ministry of Environment and Tourism date stamp, acknowledged receipt of an application from Tshishome and stated that the application would be processed and a gambling-house licence issued to him once the moratorium was lifted.Having received the letter from Namugongo, he understood Namugongo to say to him that, on the strength of the letter, he could proceed to buy gambling machines and start operating them at his bar at Otjiwarongo, Tshishome told the Magistrate.He said Namugongo told him that if the Police came to bother him about the gambling machines, he should just direct them to Namugongo.Namugongo is denying that he had said this, his defence lawyer, Titus Mbaeva, told Tshishome.He is also denying that he had received the money from Tshishome, Mbaeva said.Namugongo is further denying that he received money from Petrus, Mbaeva said.According to Petrus, he handed over N$14 000 in cash to Namugongo in his office in Windhoek in the presence of four witnesses.One of these people, who applied for a gambling-house licence at the same time, also handed Namugongo N$28 000 on the same occasion, Petrus testified.Namugongo did not give him a receipt for the money, but told him that a letter, dated August 14 2006 and acknowledging receipt of his application, would serve as such a receipt as well, Petrus said.He said after he heard that Namugongo had been arrested, he realised that he had lost the money he paid to the official.”I want him to give me back my money,” Petrus told the court.Namugongo is denying that he had received money from Petrus as well, Mbaeva told the witness.If that is Namugongo’s version, then where did he get the letter that Namugongo signed from, Petrus asked in reply to that.With nine witnesses having testified for the prosecution by Friday, the trial was postponed to February 9 to 13, and 23 to 27, next year.A further 12 State witnesses who were present at court were warned to again return to court on February 9.Deputy Prosecutor General Orben Sibeya is prosecuting.Namugongo is free on bail of N$20 000.