Cocaine suspects fight evidence

THE trial of five Windhoek residents accused of dealing in cocaine worth close to N$2 million in August 2008 is set to continue in the Windhoek Regional Court early next year.

Another ruling on the admissibility of statements made by some of the suspects at the time of their arrest is expected to be given when their trial continues.The five charged men were back in the dock before Windhoek Regional Court Magistrate Sarel Jacobs last week, after a break of five months in their trial.With the previous proceedings in the trial in late June and at the start of July, the court had to deal with a trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of statements that two of the suspects, Wessel de Jager and Henry Grothkopf, made to a Police officer when they were arrested on the evening of August 10 2008. That hearing ended with Magistrate Jacobs ruling that the statements in question could not be used as evidence in the trial.Last week, another trial within a trial took place – this time on the admissibility of statements made by another two of the charged men, Pieter Fox (53) and Joachim Grothkopf (53), to the Police.Magistrate Jacobs heard the last testimony and arguments in the trial within a trial on Wednesday, and then postponed the case to January 13, when he is set to give a ruling on the admissibility of the statements.Fox, De Jager, Andries Albrightson and Grothkopf Snr and his son have pleaded not guilty to charges of dealing in cocaine. The prosecution is alleging that they dealt in or possessed a total of 3,95 kilograms of cocaine, with a Namibian street market value of about N$1,95 million, in Windhoek on August 10 2008.So far during the trial the court has heard that two parcels of cocaine were found in De Jager’s possession when the vehicle in which he and Albrightson were travelling was stopped at the Police roadblock on the road between Windhoek and Okahandja on the evening of August 10 2008.In the latest trial within a trial Fox is claiming that his rights to remain silent and not to incriminate himself were violated when the then head of the Namibian Police’s drug offences unit, Detective Chief Inspector Barry de Klerk, questioned him at Fox’s office at Hosea Kutako International Airport on the morning after the other suspects’ arrest.Grothkopf Snr is claiming that his rights were not explained to him before he allegedly made a self-incriminating statement to the Police which resulted in more cocaine being seized.Fox is being defended by Hennie Krüger, while Grothkopf Snr and son are being represented by Christie Mostert and Jan Wessels is appearing for De Jager and Albrightson. Public Prosecutor Ingrid Husselmann is representing the State.The five suspects are remaining free on bail.