Staff Reporter
THE 31-year-old man who was arrested alongside the former Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Dr. MacAlbert Hengari, for allegedly trying to pay a bribe to a 21-year-old woman who accused Hengari of rape, today entered the court dock to testify for bail.
The 31-year-old man, who cannot be named due to the fact that he is the brother of the alleged rape victim in the matter, testified that he and his sister, the rape victim, grew up in a humble environment, as they rented a shack in the backyard of their mother’s friend, and that he had assisted with paying the rent around 2013.
He further added that he has three siblings (one deceased) and that the rape victim is the youngest. He supports his mother, brother, and the rape victim’s baby financially, as he is the breadwinner of the house from the salary he earned as a technician in Germany, before his arrest.
The 31-year-old said that his sister had contacted him around 18 April 2025 in relation to the rape case and inquired if he had contacted Dr. Hengari and arranged a meeting to resolve the issue of the rape allegations.
The accused further denied that his sister asked him to give or receive any money from Dr. Hengari.
In addition to this, the accused also denied asking his sister to receive money from Hengari or to withdraw the rape case.
He added that he was puzzled as to why his sister, the alleged rape victim, had met up with Dr. Hengari on 25 April 2025, during which she sought to have an agreement signed by Dr. Hengari where he would pay her N$700,000 as an inducement to retract the rape case.
“It still puzzles me, as we were to meet at Elia Shikongo’s office. I do not know why she would try to solicit money prior to the meeting on Saturday,” he said.
He added that on the day of the arrest, his sister, an undercover police officer named Anna, and Hengari were in a car, and that his sister had asked him and Hengari for money—but that they both had declined the request, which started from N$15,000 and then went down to N$10,000.
He added that Dr. Hengari eventually agreed to give the alleged rape victim N$200, after which he was placed under arrest.
