Africa
Woman bags 25 years imprisonment for hiring hitmen to kill her husband
Woman bags 25 years imprisonment for hiring hitmen to kill her husband
The High Court of South Africa; Limpopo Division in Polokwane, has sentenced a 47-year-old woman, Kedibone Lonia Nyathi, to 25 years imprisonment, after she pleaded guilty to killing her husband, Sandy Nyathi.
Nyathi was previously charged with three young men whom she had contracted to kill her husband.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson, Limpopo Division, Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, said Nyathi, was charged with murder.
“The charge relates to an incident of 03 December 2022, in Enable village in the district of Mopani. The accused was previously charged alongside three young men who she had contracted to kill her husband,” the statement read.
The erstwhile co-accused persons: Remember Surprise Malepe (19), Ethen Raganya(18) and Poopo Ventry Mabela(18) entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the state and they were expected to testify against the accused.
The accused were sentenced as follows: Malepe to an effective 10 years, and Raganya and Mabela were sentenced to an effective 8 years each.
After their conviction and sentence, the trio became state witnesses and the case against Nyathi was separated.
In an about turn, the accused (Nyathi) who had earlier indicated that she intended to plead not guilty changed her tune and negotiated a plea and sentence agreement with the state.
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Her plea and sentence agreement revealed that she contracted the former co-accused to kill her husband for a fee of R15 000, she further asked her accomplices to stage a hi-jacking by barricading the road where she will pass together with the deceased.
The accused was driving her vehicle pretending that she was accompanying her husband to work, on the other hand informing her accomplices to prepare themselves for killing. Before she reached the workplace, she then stopped the car and asked the deceased to remove objects which were thrown into the road.
The deceased alighted from the vehicle, and that’s when the deceased was stabbed to death by the former accused persons and one of the former co-accused pretended to attack her(Nyathi).
In mitigation, the defence submitted that there are substantial and compelling circumstances present in this matter because the accused was a first offender, she had shown true remorse by pleading guilty, she has a minor child, and she is suffering from two chronic illnesses.
In aggravation of the sentence, the senior state Advocate Nkhetheni Munyai submitted that this offence was committed out of greed since the investigations revealed that she ( Nyathi ) had several insurance policy payments that she was entitled to in the event of the deceased death.
Advocate Munyai further said that the suitable sentence, in this case, should be 25 years imprisonment.
The acting judge Ngobeni found that the plea and sentence agreement was in the interests of justice and accordingly sentenced the accused to 25 years of direct imprisonment. The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The NPA welcomed the sentence and the Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Ivy Thenga commended both the State advocate Munyai and the investigation Officer, Detective Sergeant Sello Rony Maepa of Maake police station for building an insurmountable case against the accused which left her with no option but to plead guilty.
Woman bags 25 years imprisonment for hiring hitmen to kill her husband
Africa
Boyfriend of murdered Kenyan journalist arrested
Boyfriend of murdered Kenyan journalist arrested
Africa
Baltasar Engonga: I dated him for four years, lady says, sues for betrayal
Baltasar Engonga: I dated him for four years, lady says, sues for betrayal
Cristel Nchama, one of the women appearing in viral explicit videos allegedly involving Baltasar Engonga, the former director-general of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), has filed a formal complaint with the National Gendarmerie in Malabo.
Engonga has been the focus of intense public scrutiny after investigators, probing allegations of fraud, searched his home and office and reportedly uncovered approximately 400 explicit videos featuring him with multiple women.
The tapes allegedly show Baltasar Engonga with his brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of the country’s president, the wife of the director-general of police, and around 20 wives of ministers, among others.
The recordings, which have since gone viral, are said to have taken place in Engonga’s office, hotels, and bathrooms, purportedly with the consent of those involved.
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In her complaint, Nchama disclosed that she had been in a four-year relationship with Engonga and expressed profound distress over the public leak of the videos, which she says has harmed her reputation.
Nchama claimed that Engonga “misled” her into trusting him and that she had initially resisted being filmed, under the impression that any recordings would be deleted.
She also claimed to have been “betrayed” by Bello for publishing the videos.
“I am humiliated,” she stated. “It is my reputation, my honour. I want to know where these images came from and why he kept the images.”
In addition to filing her complaint, Nchama has demanded reparations from Engonga for the damage caused to her reputation and personal dignity.
Following the scandal, the government dismissed Engonga from his position at ANIF on Thursday.
Officials also announced the suspension of various public officials allegedly involved in sexual activities within government offices.
Baltasar Engonga: I dated him for four years, lady says, sues for betrayal
Africa
Baltasar Engonga: Equatorial Guinea appoints new anti-graft agency boss
Baltasar Engonga: Equatorial Guinea appoints new anti-graft agency boss
Equatorial Guinea’s President, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has appointed Zenón Obiang Obiang Avomo as the new Director General of the National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF), succeeding Baltasar Ebang Engonga, who was removed amid sex scandal.
Recall that Engonga was dismissed following accusations of “irregularities committed in the exercise of his functions,” along with inappropriate family and social behavior unfit for public office, as stated in Decree No. 118/2024, dated November 4.
The investigation uncovered over 400 video recordings in Engonga’s office, reportedly involving the wives and relatives of high-ranking officials, including ministers and police officers.
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The shocking discovery triggered widespread public outrage and prompted swift action by the government.
In response, the Equatorial Guinean government has mandated the installation of surveillance cameras across all state offices, aiming to monitor officials’ conduct and deter future misconduct.
Zenón Obiang Obiang Avomo, who steps into the role at ANIF is a graduate of the National University of Equatorial Guinea, Avomo and has held key positions, including Magistrate Judge in Malabo, Director General of Contract Studies and State Markets at the Ministry of Finance, and Secretary General for both the Ministry of Finance, Economy and Planning, and the Ministry of Mines, Industry, and Energy.
Baltasar Engonga: Equatorial Guinea appoints new anti-graft agency boss
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