Bail application of rape suspect delayed

A BAIL application by Immanuel Nowaseb (29), accused of raping a ten-year old girl in front of her four-year old brother in December 2011, was postponed to next week after Swakopmund Magistrate Hannelie Prinsloo called on investigators to verify the merits of eight pending cases against Nowaseb.

Eight records of fingerprints apparently belonging to Nowaseb and connecting him to eight different cases involving robbery, theft and housebreaking over the past few years were brought before Prinsloo during his bail application.Nowaseb was arrested in December last year for allegedly raping the girl, who apparently goes to the same church as him.It is alleged that Nowaseb called the girl on her cellphone and told her to meet him at Heroes Bar in Mondesa where he would give her the N$30 he allegedly owed her mother. The victim and her brother met Nowaseb, who allegedly took them to his shack across the street from the bar. This is when Nowaseb allegedly took out a toy gun and threatened both children that if they said anything the would kill them. He then allegedly forced the girl to perform oral sex on him before he allegedly raped her on his bed – in front of her little brother.This was one of the reasons why bail was opposed by the State, represented by Hezekiah Iipinge.’He might just carry out this threat,’ said Iipinge.In the meantime, the fingerprints were delivered as exhibits to the court, suggesting that the suspect could abscond from the case if he was let out on bail, seeing that he was apparently trying to escape the law from the pending cases.Prinsloo was not convinced by the fingerprint records though and said that there were no indications on the records that a warrant of arrest was issued related to the records, and if the cases were indeed pending.’You will have until next week to verify these fingerprints, which is of crucial nature in the bail application. If you cannot verify these, I will disregard them in the matter,’ she told the investigating officer, Constable Hilde Hiloohamba of the Woman and Child Protection Unit.Nowaseb told the court that he would not abscond if he was given bail because he was not guilty and so had nothing to run away from. He will remain in custody until his next appearance next Thursday.Before the start of the bail hearing, members of the public demonstrated in front of the magistrate’s court objecting to Nowaseb’s bail application. They handed a petition to Swakopmund’s Chief Prosecutor, Hermien Apollus, that would be forwarded to the Prosecutor General for attention.