KEETMANSHOOP: Eight State witnesses have testified so far in the alleged corruption trial of former Karas Chief Regional Officer (CRO) Salmaan Jacobs that started here on Monday.

These include Deputy Director of Human Resources (HR) at the Karas Regional Council (KRC) Sigrid Mwaala, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Investigation Officer Ephraim !Nanuseb and former Karas Regional Governor Dawid Boois.

Jacobs appeared in the Keetmanshoop Regional Court on Monday during which he pleaded not guilty.

Keetmanshoop Magistrate Sunsley Zisengwe told Nampa at the court on Friday that the case was postponed to 04 March next year for continuation.

More State witnesses are expected to give testimony, after which Jacobs’s defence lawyer Willem Visser is expected call their witnesses.

Jacobs stands accused of five counts of corruption after he allegedly claimed illegal subsistence and travel (S&T) allowances to Germany in August and September 2006.

He is also accused of using his position to corruptly award a catering contract on two separate occasions to Sadadi Enterprise, a close corporation in which he has 50 per cent shares.

Jacobs is further accused of failing to declare his interests in the catering contract, and later allegedly used his position to corruptly award the contract to that company.

The remaining count stems from a payment made from the KRC account to Sadadi on the pretext that the money was meant for a community gardening project at Berseba.

The total money involved in the charges amounts to more than N.dollars 50 000.