Education minister’s corruption case ready for trial

WINDHOEK, 19 APR – A corruption case in which the current Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Katrina Hanse-Himarwa is implicated on allegations of allocating houses to her relatives, is now ready for trial.
The alleged corruption charges stem from the minister’s duties and powers as the Governor of the Hardap Region from 2005 to 2015. She was appointed as education minister by President Hage Geingob after the November 2014 Presidential Election.
Hanse-Himarwa made her first appearance in the Windhoek High Court on Thursday during a pre-trial conference when she was informed that all outstanding legal issues that were impeding the start of her trial have now been resolved.
She appeared before High Court Judge Christie Liebenberg and the case was remanded until 24 May 2018 for another pre-trial conference to be held, during which a date for the start of the trial will be decided upon by her privately-instructed defence lawyer Sisa Namandje and Deputy Prosecutor-General Ed Marondedze.
As per order issued in court, the case is being allocated to High Court Judge Nate Ndauendapo for the hearing of the alleged corruption trial.
Hanse-Himarwa is charged with corruption for allegedly using her office or position for gratification when she was the Hardap governor.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) alleges that the minister had corruptly placed some of her relatives on a list of housing beneficiaries at Mariental.
It is alleged that she had replaced some original beneficiaries from the list of housing so that her relatives would benefit.
National Council Chairperson, Margaret Mensah-Williams was also in court on Thursday to give her moral support to the accused minister.
NAMPA