Four Gibeon police officers are under investigation for allegedly assaulting three civilians on Saturday following a public dispute regarding Liquor Act violations in the Hardap region.
One of the civilians has been transferred from Mariental State Hospital to Katutura Intermediate Hospital in Windhoek due to possible kidney and head injuries.
Hardap police crime investigations coordinator Theodore Kutongondo says the involved officers reportedly warned the civilians against drinking in public as per the provisions of the Liquor Act, upon which an argument broke out.
“There were reportedly two officers when the argument broke out.
But it is reported that the two officers drove back to the station to increase their manpower and brought an additional two officers to beat up the three civilians,” he says.
The civilians have been charged with drinking in public and unruly behaviour, Kutongondo says.
They have been released from custody and fined N$1 000 each, which they have to pay within 30 days.
Kutongondo says the regional headquarters dispatched a team of investigators to Gibeon Police Station on Tuesday as they consider the allegations as serious and unacceptable, considering the police are tasked to maintain law and order.
The chief inspector says the civilians have opened a case of assault with intent to cause grievious bodily harm, as well as common assault against the police.
He says this is the first official case of community members against the police at Gibeon.
“We do not think this happens all the time.
We just have to act to ascertain the facts and take action should the need be,” Kutongondo says.
One of the involved civilians, Denzyl Mugunda (30), in his report says as he, his cousins and some friends were walking home, the police officers stopped them and instructed them to pour out the alcohol they were carrying.
He says they complied with the order, but one police officer allegedly began insulting one of his cousins.
“My cousin asked ‘Why are you insulting him?’, which sparked a quarrel.
The officers drove off, but as my cousins continued walking home, the same police officers returned with reinforcements.
“They jumped out of the van and started slapping my cousins without asking any questions.
An officer also slapped and manhandled one of the ladies present, throwing her around,” Mugunda says.
He further reports that one of the officers then forced the woman and others into the vehicle, drove them to the police station, and beat them severely.
Mugunda says his one cousin and the woman were thrown into the cells at the station, while he was taken to the clinic after being badly beaten.
“The police officers told the nurse on duty that night that they were responsible for my injuries.
However, after I was examined, they took me home, and when my relatives asked why I looked that way, the officers lied and claimed I had fallen down the stairs at the police station,” he says.
Mugunda says the police officers at Gibeon have beaten up several innocent civilians, and claims it is futile to make a case, because it is often thrown out.
