Contradictions in Kalangula search warrant

THE Police commander in the Oshana Region yesterday maintained that a search warrant was shown to Bishop Peter Kalangula before his farmhouse was searched for weapons on Tuesday, but Kalangula says he only saw the warrant the next day.

Deputy Commissioner Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa called a press conference at Oshakati yesterday morning in response to a statement by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR). The human rights organisation claimed that the Police had no search warrant and did not show such a warrant to Kalangula.”The Police had a search warrant and that search warrant was produced to Bishop Peter Kalangula.He gave his consent [to the search] and as a result he instructed Mr Denis Nandi to accompany Police officers to his farm,” Kashihakumwa said.Kashihakumwa said an informant went to the Police station at Oshakati on Monday, September 24 and reported that there were suspicious weapons at Bishop Kalangula’s farm in Mangetti area.”The informer was interviewed and a statement under oath was obtained from him.The same day a search warrant was obtained from the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court to verify that sensitive allegation,” Kashihakumwa said.He said on Tuesday, September 25, Kalangula was traced at his Ondangwa home and informed of the allegation against him.The search warrant was shown to him before he consented to the search, the officer said.”When the Police officers arrived on the farm they immediately started with the search in the presence of Mr Denis Nandi, who was instructed by Mr Kalangula to accompany the Police officers, and during the search seven firearms were found and that was the end of the operation at the farm,” Kashihakumwa said.”We were polite to go and obtain a search warrant first, because this was a serious allegation – the Police could have used sub-article 22 of the Police Act to act without a search warrant, but we thought, still we need a search warrant, which we went and obtained from the Ondangwa Magistrate’s court on September 24 2007, before we conducted that operation,” Kashihakumwa said.He said the warrant was also shown to the NSHR representative in Oshana, Festus Shaduva, who had asked to see it.”Here is it still,” Kashihakumwa said and showed the warrant to the media.When asked yesterday afternoon whether the Police had shown him the warrant on Tuesday, Bishop Kalangula reiterated that the two plainclothes Police officers who arrived at his house at Ondangwa only showed him their Police identification cards and not a warrant.A third officer remained sitting in the car in front of his gate, Kalangula said.”The search warrant was produced to me on Wednesday afternoon when the Police officers came to fetch the [firearm] licences that were in Windhoek and sent back on Wednesday, and not on Tuesday when they came for the first time and went to search my house at the farm,” Bishop Kalangula told The Namibian.The Bishop added that he still could not understand why an informer would give false information to the Police.”What is really the motive behind that? That will always be my question, and I want to know why,” he said.Kalangula speculated that he believed it was a campaign of intimidation against Kwanyama people.”I don’t have dangerous weapons, I have only hunting weapons, but why me, searched among many farmers who might have more hunting weapons than me? I really cannot understand that, and someone has to explain it to me,” Kalangula said.The human rights organisation claimed that the Police had no search warrant and did not show such a warrant to Kalangula.”The Police had a search warrant and that search warrant was produced to Bishop Peter Kalangula.He gave his consent [to the search] and as a result he instructed Mr Denis Nandi to accompany Police officers to his farm,” Kashihakumwa said.Kashihakumwa said an informant went to the Police station at Oshakati on Monday, September 24 and reported that there were suspicious weapons at Bishop Kalangula’s farm in Mangetti area.”The informer was interviewed and a statement under oath was obtained from him.The same day a search warrant was obtained from the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court to verify that sensitive allegation,” Kashihakumwa said.He said on Tuesday, September 25, Kalangula was traced at his Ondangwa home and informed of the allegation against him.The search warrant was shown to him before he consented to the search, the officer said.”When the Police officers arrived on the farm they immediately started with the search in the presence of Mr Denis Nandi, who was instructed by Mr Kalangula to accompany the Police officers, and during the search seven firearms were found and that was the end of the operation at the farm,” Kashihakumwa said.”We were polite to go and obtain a search warrant first, because this was a serious allegation – the Police could have used sub-article 22 of the Police Act to act without a search warrant, but we thought, still we need a search warrant, which we went and obtained from the Ondangwa Magistrate’s court on September 24 2007, before we conducted that operation,” Kashihakumwa said.He said the warrant was also shown to the NSHR representative in Oshana, Festus Shaduva, who had asked to see it.”Here is it still,” Kashihakumwa said and showed the warrant to the media.When asked yesterday afternoon whether the Police had shown him the warrant on Tuesday, Bishop Kalangula reiterated that the two plainclothes Police officers who arrived at his house at Ondangwa only showed him their Police identification cards and not a warrant.A third officer remained sitting in the car in front of his gate, Kalangula said.”The search warrant was produced to me on Wednesday afternoon when the Police officers came to fetch the [firearm] licences that were in Windhoek and sent back on Wednesday, and not on Tuesday when they came for the first time and went to search my house at the farm,” Bishop Kalangula told The Namibian.The Bishop added that he still could not understand why an informer would give false information to the Police.”What is really the motive behind that? That will always be my question, and I want to know why,” he said.Kalangula speculated that he believed it was a campaign of intimidation against Kwanyama people.”I don’t have dangerous weapons, I have only hunting weapons, but why me, searched among many farmers who might have more hunting weapons than me? I really cannot understand that, and someone has to explain it to me,” Kalangula said.