Cops in court on assault charges

SIXTEEN Namibian Police officers based at Keetmanshoop, Rosh Pinah and Luederitz, each charged with five counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, appeared in the Keetmanshoop Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

They are accused of assaulting five suspects while interrogating them on alleged robbery charges. The accused are Chief Inspector Andreas Nelumbu (41), Frans Van Wyk (48), Petrus Haiduwa (26), Leonard Uitsi (23), Daureen Stephanus (30), Norman Bock (24), Mery Nangula (38), Johannes Iithete (42), Nico Bampton (43), Andries Katjipuka, Eduard Mesho (31), Erastus Angula (28), Manuel Kazeya (29), Kazwire Hindjou (33), Herrckson Maskana (33) and Trywell Phangula.The Police officers were not asked to plead and the case was postponed until March 3 to allow some of them to acquire legal representation.They are all free on warning.According to one of the alleged victims, Neville Goliath (20), he was repeatedly beaten by Police officers after being arrested in Keetmanshoop’s Tseiblaagte residential area in May 2005.He told The Namibian that the officers then locked him up in the holding cells and refused to take him to hospital for treatment.Goliath said he was only taken to hospital after fellow inmates threatened to burn their blankets.He said he had to stay in hospital for a week to recover from the injuries he sustained because of the alleged beatings.Another alleged victim, Henrico Kooper (26) told The Namibian yesterday that he too was repeatedly beaten while he was handcuffed.He said the Police later dropped the robbery charges against him and the other suspects.The accused are Chief Inspector Andreas Nelumbu (41), Frans Van Wyk (48), Petrus Haiduwa (26), Leonard Uitsi (23), Daureen Stephanus (30), Norman Bock (24), Mery Nangula (38), Johannes Iithete (42), Nico Bampton (43), Andries Katjipuka, Eduard Mesho (31), Erastus Angula (28), Manuel Kazeya (29), Kazwire Hindjou (33), Herrckson Maskana (33) and Trywell Phangula.The Police officers were not asked to plead and the case was postponed until March 3 to allow some of them to acquire legal representation.They are all free on warning.According to one of the alleged victims, Neville Goliath (20), he was repeatedly beaten by Police officers after being arrested in Keetmanshoop’s Tseiblaagte residential area in May 2005.He told The Namibian that the officers then locked him up in the holding cells and refused to take him to hospital for treatment.Goliath said he was only taken to hospital after fellow inmates threatened to burn their blankets.He said he had to stay in hospital for a week to recover from the injuries he sustained because of the alleged beatings.Another alleged victim, Henrico Kooper (26) told The Namibian yesterday that he too was repeatedly beaten while he was handcuffed.He said the Police later dropped the robbery charges against him and the other suspects.