Lodge owner accused of beating customer

A CHRISTMAS drink at a lodge near Outapi turned sour for two patrons who claim they were beaten, shot at and chased by vehicles when they tried to flee from lodge owner Tobias Amadhila.

Amadhila now faces charges of assault with intention to do grievous bodily harm, admitting that he hit 30-year-old George Erastus with a sjambok, but told The Namibian he did not fire a shotgun as alleged. According to Erastus, he and a friend, Isdor Kaapanda, arrived at Tona Lodge in the early hours of the morning of December 26 where they both ordered drinks from the bar.The pair said the trouble started when another patron, one Peter Nambele, claimed to have paid for the drinks of Erastus and Kaapanda.Erastus told The Namibian that he managed to stave off a fight between Kaapanda and Nambele, just at the time when Amadhila arrived and also began arguing with Kaapanda.Nambele is reported to have fetched an AK47 rifle which he handed to Amadhila, who it is claimed threatened to shoot Erastus and Kaapanda saying “they were small boys whom he could afford to shoot and pay off later”.Amadhila, who is the husband of Minister of Finance Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, has denied pulling a weapon on the pair and said he was trying to get the two to leave because they were swearing at other patrons at the lodge.Amadhila said he had warned them at least four times to desist from their behaviour or face being put out of the lodge.”He caused trouble at my place.It was a party, for Christmas and a wedding.All the doors were closed.We don’t know how they came in,” said Amadhila.According to Amadhila’s version of events, Erastus tried to fight with him, grabbing him by the neck and pulling out a knife when he told them to leave.Erastus and his friend say Amadhila fetched his own rifle from his vehicle and fired several shots both in the air and at them as they prepared to leave the lodge.Erastus and Kaapanda claim to have only been around 500 metres from the lodge when three vehicles began chasing them.Amadhila is said to have aimed his gun at Kaapanda and fired, but there were no bullets left in the chamber and Kaapanda managed to escape.However Erastus said he was cornered by the vehicles and Amadhila then fetched a sjambok from his car and beat him.Erastus said he was made to get in to one of the vehicles but managed to escape losing his jacket and tearing his shirt in the process.The men in the vehicles then continued their chase but were intercepted by the Police who arrived at the scene – ostensibly after the ruckus was reported to them.”The Police came.I ran to the Police.They opened up the back [of the Police bakkie] and I jumped in.By that time I was only [dressed] in my pants,” he relayed.Erastus maintains that two of the vehicles made a getaway from the Police, but Amadhila faced them head on, allegedly being verbally abusive towards the Police.Although admitting to sjambokking Erastus, Amadhila claims he did this at the lodge when Erastus pulled a knife on him and said at no point to chase Erastus or fire a shotgun.”He can say so, but it’s not right and not true.They try to make anyone’s name dirty,” Amadhila said.”I called the cops and chased him.The cops got him.I went there [to the Police station] to warn him,” he said.Erastus maintains the Police took him their station at Outapi and Amadhila too arrived there bringing with him Erastus’s jacket and shirt.Erastus claims to have lost nearly N$500 which was in the jacket and his shoes from the encounter.”The Police gave me a letter and took me to the doctor.I got medical help and a doctor’s letter at the Kamaku Hospital where I stayed,” said Erastus.The Police arrived at the hospital at around 05h00 that morning to provide him with protection, he said.After his injuries were examined by a doctor, Erastus returned to the Police station to lay charges against Amadhila.Erastus said he was later approached by another Police officer allegedly at the request of Nambele, to discuss a financial settlement in exchange for the case to be dropped.Upon returning home, Erastus said he found Amadhila talking to Erastus’s mother and telling her to instil better discipline in her son.”I also heard from Isdor that Tona [Amadhila] called offering N$20 000 and then it is over,” Erastus said.Amadhila was granted bail of N$400 and the case was postponed until July 5, for further investigation.According to the Police docket, no mention is made of a firearm being used against Erastus.”I opened a case against him.I don’t have a problem,” Amadhila said.According to Erastus, he and a friend, Isdor Kaapanda, arrived at Tona Lodge in the early hours of the morning of December 26 where they both ordered drinks from the bar.The pair said the trouble started when another patron, one Peter Nambele, claimed to have paid for the drinks of Erastus and Kaapanda.Erastus told The Namibian that he managed to stave off a fight between Kaapanda and Nambele, just at the time when Amadhila arrived and also began arguing with Kaapanda.Nambele is reported to have fetched an AK47 rifle which he handed to Amadhila, who it is claimed threatened to shoot Erastus and Kaapanda saying “they were small boys whom he could afford to shoot and pay off later”.Amadhila, who is the husband of Minister of Finance Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, has denied pulling a weapon on the pair and said he was trying to get the two to leave because they were swearing at other patrons at the lodge.Amadhila said he had warned them at least four times to desist from their behaviour or face being put out of the lodge.”He caused trouble at my place.It was a party, for Christmas and a wedding.All the doors were closed.We don’t know how they came in,” said Amadhila.According to Amadhila’s version of events, Erastus tried to fight with him, grabbing him by the neck and pulling out a knife when he told them to leave.Erastus and his friend say Amadhila fetched his own rifle from his vehicle and fired several shots both in the air and at them as they prepared to leave the lodge.Erastus and Kaapanda claim to have only been around 500 metres from the lodge when three vehicles began chasing them.Amadhila is said to have aimed his gun at Kaapanda and fired, but there were no bullets left in the chamber and Kaapanda managed to escape.However Erastus said he was cornered by the vehicles and Amadhila then fetched a sjambok from his car and beat him.Erastus said he was made to get in to one of the vehicles but managed to escape losing his jacket and tearing his shirt in the process.The men in the vehicles then continued their chase but were intercepted by the Police who arrived at the scene – ostensibly after the ruckus was reported to them.”The Police came.I ran to the Police.They opened up the back [of the Police bakkie] and I jumped in.By that time I was only [dressed] in my pants,” he relayed.Erastus maintains that two of the vehicles made a getaway from the Police, but Amadhila faced them head on, allegedly being verbally abusive towards the Police.Although admitting to sjambokking Erastus, Amadhila claims he did this at the lodge when Erastus pulled a knife on him and said at no point to chase Erastus or fire a shotgun.”He can say so, but it’s not right and not true.They try to make anyone’s name dirty,” Amadhila said.”I called the cops and chased him.The cops got him.I went there [to the Police station] to warn him,” he said.Erastus maintains the Police took him their station at Outapi and Amadhila too arrived there bringing with him Erastus’s jacket and shirt.Erastus claims to have lost nearly N$500 which was in the jacket and his shoes from the encounter.”The Police gave me a letter and took me to the doctor.I got medical help and a doctor’s letter at the Kamaku Hospital where I stayed,” said Erastus.The Police arrived at the hospital at around 05h00 that morning to provide him with protection, he said.After his injuries were examined by a doctor, Erastus returned to the Police station to lay charges against Amadhila.Erastus said he was later approached by another Police officer allegedly at the request of Nambele, to discuss a financial settleme
nt in exchange for the case to be dropped.Upon returning home, Erastus said he found Amadhila talking to Erastus’s mother and telling her to instil better discipline in her son.”I also heard from Isdor that Tona [Amadhila] called offering N$20 000 and then it is over,” Erastus said.Amadhila was granted bail of N$400 and the case was postponed until July 5, for further investigation.According to the Police docket, no mention is made of a firearm being used against Erastus.”I opened a case against him.I don’t have a problem,” Amadhila said.