Fishrot: Iyambo sentenced to nine months
Iyambo admitted to offering a N$250 000 bribe to an ACC official in order to get hold of bank cards belonging to Fishrot accused James Hatuikulipi and Pius Mwatelulo.
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
Jason Iyambo, who was arrested in January for attempting to bribe an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigator, has been sentenced to nine months in prison.
The 35-year-old appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Magistrate Ivan Gawanab, who effectively sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment, with nine months suspended for a period of five years.
This is on condition that he is not convicted of defeating or obstructing the course of justice or attempting to do so.
Iyambo earlier this week pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to defeat the course of justice, when he admitted to offering a N$250 000 bribe to an official attached to the ACC in order to get hold of bank cards belonging to Fishrot accused James Hatuikulipi and Pius Mwatelulo.
State advocate Timo Itula argued for Iyambo to be sentenced with direct imprisonment for three years, while defence lawyer Kalundu Kamwi wanted a fine instead of prison time.
First-time offender
In his judgement, Gawanab said sentencing was the biggest bone of contention in the matter and that, in handing down a sentence, he considered that the accused is a first-time offender, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse to the court.
Gawanab, however, stressed that the trend for this offence is direct imprisonment and, therefore, Iyambo could not escape imprisonment.
According to court documents, Iyambo admitted to having tried to bribe Junias Iipinge in exchange for Hatukuilipi and Mwatelulo’s bank cards, who at the time, were already behind bars after being arrested last November.
Back in court
Iyambo apparently worked with Sakaria Kuutondokwa Kokule, a police reservist who was also arrested.
Kokule and Hatuikulipi are Iyambo’s co-accused in this matter, and both men pleaded not guilty when they appeared in court on 10 November.
Meanwhile, the accused in the Fishrot corruption scandal will return to the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on 14 December to hear the decision taken by the Office of the Prosecutor-General regarding their case.
WINDHOEK
Jason Iyambo, who was arrested in January for attempting to bribe an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigator, has been sentenced to nine months in prison.
The 35-year-old appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Magistrate Ivan Gawanab, who effectively sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment, with nine months suspended for a period of five years.
This is on condition that he is not convicted of defeating or obstructing the course of justice or attempting to do so.
Iyambo earlier this week pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to defeat the course of justice, when he admitted to offering a N$250 000 bribe to an official attached to the ACC in order to get hold of bank cards belonging to Fishrot accused James Hatuikulipi and Pius Mwatelulo.
State advocate Timo Itula argued for Iyambo to be sentenced with direct imprisonment for three years, while defence lawyer Kalundu Kamwi wanted a fine instead of prison time.
First-time offender
In his judgement, Gawanab said sentencing was the biggest bone of contention in the matter and that, in handing down a sentence, he considered that the accused is a first-time offender, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse to the court.
Gawanab, however, stressed that the trend for this offence is direct imprisonment and, therefore, Iyambo could not escape imprisonment.
According to court documents, Iyambo admitted to having tried to bribe Junias Iipinge in exchange for Hatukuilipi and Mwatelulo’s bank cards, who at the time, were already behind bars after being arrested last November.
Back in court
Iyambo apparently worked with Sakaria Kuutondokwa Kokule, a police reservist who was also arrested.
Kokule and Hatuikulipi are Iyambo’s co-accused in this matter, and both men pleaded not guilty when they appeared in court on 10 November.
Meanwhile, the accused in the Fishrot corruption scandal will return to the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on 14 December to hear the decision taken by the Office of the Prosecutor-General regarding their case.
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