BRITISH farm owner Harvey Boulter on Friday denied guilt on all of the charges he is facing in connection with a shooting incident which claimed the life of one of his employees in February this year.
Boulter pleaded not guilty on counts of murder, possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence, and defeating or obstructing the course of justice during an appearance in the Kamanjab Magistrate’s Court.
He appeared before magistrate Immanuel Udjombala two months after he was granted bail in an amount of N$500 000 in the High Court.
After noting Boulter’s plea to the charges, the magistrate postponed his case to 11 January to give the prosecutor general time to decide on what charges and in which court Boulter will be arraigned for trial.
Boulter (51) was charged with murder after a shooting incident in which the manager of his Outjo district game farm, Gerhard van Wyk (54), was fatally injured on 27 February.
During a bail hearing in the Outjo Magistrate’s Court in May, Boulter told the court the shooting happened after an altercation during a lamb spit braai at his farm. He said he felt he was under attack from Van Wyk and Van Wyk’s son before a shot went off when Van Wyk grabbed a pistol which he was holding against his chest.
Van Wyk was shot in the abdomen. He died while being transported to a hospital.
Boulter was also injured during the incident. He was shot through his left hand.
The court also heard that Van Wyk’s wife told the police she had seen Boulter slapping her son, who is also employed by the Brit, moments before the shooting. She further told the police Boulter pointed the firearm at Van Wyk’s head and that Van Wyk pushed the gun away before a shot went off.
Boulter said during the bail hearing he has been a permanent resident of Namibia since 2017 and he has invested more than N$150 million in the country. He said his investments in Namibia include the farm Kaross, where the incident took place, and another farm, and that he has some 40 people in his employ in Namibia.
Boulter also told the court he is running an international business involved in supplying encrypted communications technology to governments and military partners in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Defence lawyer Kadhila Amoomo represented Boulter during the plea proceedings on Friday. Public prosecutor Penda Hamunyela represented the state.
