Northern based businessman, Sindano Hango, was on Friday sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in the Oshakati High Court, after he was convicted for raping his cousin in 2014.

Court documents indicates that, Hango (42) was in 2019 acquitted of the rape charges by Oshakati High Court Magistrate Leopoldt Hangalo. However, he went back on trial after the State appealed the magistrate’s decision, and the Windhoek High Court overturned the acquittal and sent the matter back to Magistrate Hangalo for sentencing. He was then convicted of rape in February 2021 by Hangalo.

During his trial, Hango was accused of forcing himself onto the victim by holding her arms to the back while one hand forcefully removed her jeans and underpants, and during the scuffle, the victim says she fell to the floor and then fled to her room, where Hango followed her, threw her on the bed and forcefully penetrated her.

The victim at the time also told the court that she informed several family members about the rape. However, some attempted to talk her out of registering a case, while others advised her to pursue it. He is also accused of bribing the complainant with N.dollars 10 000 to allegedly withdraw the rape charge.

In the sentencing process that started on Monday this week, his lawyer Kadhila Amoomo asked the court to be lenient to his client because Hango does not have a history of committing crimes and that he is a first-time offender.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency