Eba Kandovazu
IT has emerged in court today that Independent Patriots of Change (IPC) office-bearer Abed “Bishop” Hishoono and First Lady Monica Geingos are not complete strangers.
The First Lady is suing Hishoono for N$350 000 for defamation.
The court heard that Hishoono’s father was accommodated by Geingos’ father during his visits to Oranjemund.
This came to the fore, as Judge Orben Sibeya wanted to know why Hishoono didn’t use his father to extend an apology to Geingos through her father on his behalf for the defamatory comments he made against her.
Hishoono was adamant in court today that the claims he made against Geingos were rumours that were already in the public domain.
He pleaded that Geingos, as the Mother of the Nation, should not punish “her child for repeating the same things that her other children were already saying”.
The regretful Hishoono posted a video on social media accusing her of being part of a scheme responsible for the downfall of Air Namibia and as having shares in West Air, which has since taken over some local routes the national airline was responsible for. He also claimed that the Fist Lady was “sourced” by James Hatuikulipi to marry President Hage Geingob and accused her of having sexual relations with Hatuikulipi, who is being tried on corruption in what is now known as the Fishrot scandal.
Hishoono in his closing arguments today said he cannot afford to pay the money as he is still repaying the loans who took at to bankroll his marriage last October.
He also said that N$350 000 the First Lady demands is double the money he earns annually as a teacher.
“We civil servants have not received an increment since 2015,” he pleaded. Hishoono represented himself in the matter.
Although he begged for the court’s mercy and leniency today, Hishoono when asked by presiding Judge Orben Sibeya if he agreed that the remarks he made injured Geingos’ dignity and reputation, he said NO.
He however agreed that based on her testimony under oath, the defamatory claims although in the public domain were lies.
Hishoono proposed to the court that he be punished to do community service, instead of paying the money, a request Judge Sibeya said is impossible in defamation lawsuits.
Geingos’ lawyer Sisa Namandje indicated that the money would be used for “a good public cause”.
Hishoono also claimed that he is being used as an example, and that the lawsuit is politically motivated because he is a member of IPC.
Namandje in his closing remarks said that Hishoono’s performance in the witness dock was an orgy of lies, reckless, that he contradicted himself and continued to defame Geingos.
“It was so bad. He reconstructed his evidence freely and tried to play the victim by accusing my client of suing him for political points which is unfair because she has reason to. The defendant knew he had no facts. To say that someone was supplied by another person to marry someone else is hurtful. This is the most hurtful form of defamation in Namibia as far as our research is concerned,” Namandje submitted. According to him, Hishoono is no candidate for mercy because he was careless and brutal in his actions, adding that after he was served with summons, he again posted on Facebook “Let her come, maybe she wants to”.
The judgment is scheduled to be delivered on Friday.
