Court denies bail to Windhoek ‘hotel thief’

A YOUNG Windhoek resident who is accused of stealing the equivalent of close to half a million Namibia dollars from an Angolan national at a hotel in the city on Friday remains in Police custody after making a first court appearance yesterday.

Frieda Agnes Warner (25) is facing a charge of theft after being arrested in Windhoek on Sunday.
According to a Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Timothy Haikonda, a cellphone belonging to the Angolan man whose money Warner is alleged to have stolen was found with her at the time of her arrest.
It is alleged that the money was stolen at Windhoek’s Safari Hotel, where the Angolan complainant is claimed to have been hosting Warner at the time.
According to records at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, an amount of US$45 000 (about N$465 000) is alleged to have been stolen in the incident.
With Warner’s appearance before Magistrate Helvi Shilemba, Public Prosecutor Carol-Ann Esterhuizen told the Magistrate that the prosecution was opposing the granting of bail at this stage of the case, because another suspect still had to be arrested and the money that was allegedly stolen had not been recovered yet.
The State feared that if Warner was to be released at this stage, she might interfere with the investigation of the case, Esterhuizen said.
The Magistrate postponed the case to March 26, and ordered that Warner should remain in custody in the meantime.
Defence lawyer Tabitha Mbome represented Warner.