Inmate claims Police brutality

A TRIAL-AWAITING prisoner being held at the Swakopmund Police station claims that he was assaulted by several officers at the town’s Magistrate’s Court last week.

In a letter to The Namibian, Albertus Shitungu (23), who was arrested in 2005 on a charge of robbery, claims that the incident took place last Thursday in the holding cells at the Magistrate’s Court. The Erongo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner Festus Shilongo, yesterday said that no such incident had been reported to him.He added that Shitungu could lay a charge of assault, which would be investigated.He allegedly expressed his disappointment at his case being postponed for a third time, and having been in custody since 2005.This was allegedly not taken well by the Police officer with him at the time – whose name is known to The Namibian.Shitungu claims that the officer called five other officers to the holding cell and they assaulted him in front of other suspects waiting for their court appearances.They allegedly handcuffed him, pulled him to the ground and choked him, he said.Once on the ground, the officers allegedly kicked him all over his body before cuffing both arms together and then pulling him around “like a dog”.He claimed that his arm and shoulder were injured and he was taken to the Swakopmund State Hospital for treatment.He now walks with his arm in a sling, and according to him, he can hardly move it.He has appealed to the Namibian Society for Human Rights (NSHR) to investigate the matter.The Erongo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner Festus Shilongo, yesterday said that no such incident had been reported to him.He added that Shitungu could lay a charge of assault, which would be investigated.He allegedly expressed his disappointment at his case being postponed for a third time, and having been in custody since 2005.This was allegedly not taken well by the Police officer with him at the time – whose name is known to The Namibian.Shitungu claims that the officer called five other officers to the holding cell and they assaulted him in front of other suspects waiting for their court appearances.They allegedly handcuffed him, pulled him to the ground and choked him, he said.Once on the ground, the officers allegedly kicked him all over his body before cuffing both arms together and then pulling him around “like a dog”.He claimed that his arm and shoulder were injured and he was taken to the Swakopmund State Hospital for treatment.He now walks with his arm in a sling, and according to him, he can hardly move it.He has appealed to the Namibian Society for Human Rights (NSHR) to investigate the matter.