Ex-magistrate to be tried next year

Former magistrate Walter Mostert and his co-accused are in for a long wait after the Windhoek Regional Court scheduled their trial to start next year.

Magistrate Venatius Alweendo on the agreement between the prosecution and the defence, postponed the case for the trial hearing to start as from 17 to 19 January 2022.

Walter’s co-accused Joyline Kambatuku, Eveline Meroro and Joram Salomo made their appearance in court yesterday.

Walter appeared in absentia. According to prosecutor Fillemon Nyau, Walter was taken to the hospital for medical attention.

Walter and his co-accused are facing counts under the AntiCorruption Act and the Immigration Control Act, and counts of money laundering, extortion, fraud and attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.

The State is alleging that the charges emanate from a period between 2012 and 2013, when Mostert worked in cahoots with his co-accused by assisting a South African family to obtain Namibian identity documents illegally.

He allegedly furnished the ministry of home affairs with false documents that members of that family and their parents were born at Usakos.

In 2013, Mostert extorted N$90 000 from one Kosie Pieterse when he informed him that his family member was arrested for overstaying in Namibia after the visa had expired, the prosecution alleged.

The prosecution is further alleging Mostert fraudulently obtained N$250 000 from Pieterse. He allegedly told Pieterse the money would help with his application to acquire Namibian permanent residence.

Mostert was arrested on 1 May after he had returned to Namibia from South Africa, where he had been living for the past four years.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has been looking for him since September 2018.