‘New’ groups of treason suspects to hear fate next month

TWO groups of high treason suspects, who are accused of involvement in a claimed plot to secede the Caprivi Region, heard on Friday that they will be informed early next month what the Prosecutor General has decided about the future of the cases against them.

The two groups appeared in the Magistrate’s Courts at Mariental and Katima Mulilo respectively on Friday. A defence lawyer from the Directorate of Legal Aid was present in court on behalf of each of the groups.Both groups were told that they would have to appear in court again on April 2.They are scheduled to be informed then what decision the Prosecutor General had taken about their cases.Specifically, they are set to be told whether it has been decided that they would still be prosecuted and if so on what charges and in which court they would be tried.The group that appeared before Assistant Magistrate Dennis Muyunda at Katima Mulilo comprises seven men whom the Namibian authorities arrested in December after they had been expelled from Botswana, where they were reported to have previously been given refugee status.Another group of five suspects appeared before Magistrate A.K.Simpson at Mariental.The Botswana authorities delivered two members of this group, Alex Liswani Mafwila and Boster Mubuyeta Samwele, to their Namibian counterparts on December 6 2002.The two men were brought to Namibia together with Osbert Mwenyi Likanyi, who is one of the 13 high treason accused to have been discharged from the case by the High Court at Grootfontein.That was after the court had found that Likanyi had been brought before it irregularly because correct extradition procedures had not been followed when he was brought from Botswana to Namibia.Appearing at Mariental with Mafwila and Samwele were Frederick Isaka Ntambilwa, John Tembwe Mazila and Hoster Simasiku Ntombo.The seven who appeared at Katima Mulilo were Progress Kenyoka Munuma, Manuel Manepelo Makendano, Samulandela Shine Samulandela, Vincent Siliye Liswaniso, Vincent Khasu Sinasi, Alex Sinjabata Mushakwa and Salufu Diamond Samunzala.Both groups were remanded in custody until their next court appearance.A defence lawyer from the Directorate of Legal Aid was present in court on behalf of each of the groups.Both groups were told that they would have to appear in court again on April 2.They are scheduled to be informed then what decision the Prosecutor General had taken about their cases.Specifically, they are set to be told whether it has been decided that they would still be prosecuted and if so on what charges and in which court they would be tried.The group that appeared before Assistant Magistrate Dennis Muyunda at Katima Mulilo comprises seven men whom the Namibian authorities arrested in December after they had been expelled from Botswana, where they were reported to have previously been given refugee status.Another group of five suspects appeared before Magistrate A.K.Simpson at Mariental.The Botswana authorities delivered two members of this group, Alex Liswani Mafwila and Boster Mubuyeta Samwele, to their Namibian counterparts on December 6 2002.The two men were brought to Namibia together with Osbert Mwenyi Likanyi, who is one of the 13 high treason accused to have been discharged from the case by the High Court at Grootfontein.That was after the court had found that Likanyi had been brought before it irregularly because correct extradition procedures had not been followed when he was brought from Botswana to Namibia.Appearing at Mariental with Mafwila and Samwele were Frederick Isaka Ntambilwa, John Tembwe Mazila and Hoster Simasiku Ntombo.The seven who appeared at Katima Mulilo were Progress Kenyoka Munuma, Manuel Manepelo Makendano, Samulandela Shine Samulandela, Vincent Siliye Liswaniso, Vincent Khasu Sinasi, Alex Sinjabata Mushakwa and Salufu Diamond Samunzala.Both groups were remanded in custody until their next court appearance.