27 Jul 2026

A Namibian national has been fined P5,000 by Mogoditshane Magistrate Court after pleading guilty to tampering with the chassis number of a Toyota Wish.

Emmanuel Joseph, 40, was sentenced by Chief Magistrate Mr Gofaone Morweng on Thursday after admitting to the offence, committed in Mogoditshane on 15 February 2026.

Passing sentence, Magistrate Morweng said Joseph altered the vehicle’s chassis number with the intention of disguisise its true identity.

The court heard that Joseph was arrested after police found him driving an unregistered vehicle whose identifying details had been altered.

The magistrate said court had considered both the seriousness of the offence and the interests of society when determining an appropriate sentence.

In mitigation, the court noted that Joseph was the primary caregiver for his three children and his ailing mother, and had shown genuine remorse by pleading guilty. However, the magistrate also observed that the offence had cross-border elements, as Joseph was found in possession of a fraudulent Namibian motor vehicle registration certificate and licence disc.

He said such offences were particularly difficult to detect and posed a serious threat to public safety because unregistered vehicles were often used to commit crimes.

Emphasising the need for deterrence, Magistrate Morweng fined Joseph P5,000, payable within seven days, failing which he will serve six months’ imprisonment.

“He has spent some time in custody, and that period should serve as a lesson that crime does not pay,” Magistrate Morweng said.

Court also ordered that the Toyota Wish be forfeited to the state. ENDS