Lawyer in court on drunken driving, bribery charges

A Windhoek-based lawyer appeared in court as an accused person yesterday, following his arrest over the weekend for allegedly driving a car while under the influence of liquor.

The lawyer, Henry Shimutwikeni (34), appeared before magistrate Kandiwapa Nembia in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on charges of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor, failing to provide a breath or blood specimen, and bribery.

According to the case record kept at the court, the state is alleging that Shimutwikeni drove a car while under the influence of intoxicating liquor in Windhoek on Saturday, that he refused to provide a breath or blood specimen for an alcohol test to an authorised police officer, and that he offered a payment of N$10 000 to two police officers in an attempt to bribe them not to arrest him and to release him from police custody.

His case was postponed to 24 July for further investigations to be carried out, after public prosecutor Sylvia Kauluma told the magistrate that the police still need to record three witness statements in the matter.

Defence lawyer Samson Enkali, who represented Shimutwikeni, informed the court that he has been released on bail in an amount of N$6 000.

The police reported over the weekend that two lawyers were arrested and released on bail in connection with the incident.

The second lawyer, Eliaser Nekwaya, also appeared before Nembia on a charge of bribery yesterday.

Kauluma informed the magistrate she was provisionally withdrawing the charge against him, as the state did not have sufficient evidence to support the charge at this stage.

Nekwaya’s defence lawyer, Sisa Namandje, added that his client has given an explanatory statement to the police, which according to him made it clear that Nekwaya did not bribe or attempt to bribe a police officer.

* The original version of this article that appeared in print has been amended to correct details concerning the court appearance of Nekwaya.