A WINDHOEK Magistrate this week denied bail to three Chinese citizens who face a host of criminal charges in Namibia, including one of dealing in heroin.
Considerations of the interest of justice and of the public interest appear to have swayed Magistrate Maria Mahalie to turn down the bail applications of Chinese nationals Yu Zin (30), Cui Cui (22) and Zhang Funang (25) on Tuesday. The trio have been in custody since early August.They face a range of charges, including one of dealing in 200 grams of heroin – which the Police claim is the largest single quantity of this drug yet to have been confiscated in Namibia – and charges over the discovery of thousands of allegedly pirate-brand cigarettes in Yu’s possession.The trio have denied guilt.Yu has been living in Namibia for the past eight years.In that time, he has been arrested and prosecuted in several cases.The most recent were over a shooting incident in which an associate of his let loose a burst of automatic gunfire in a restaurant of an upmarket Windhoek hotel, and an armed robbery in which a Windhoek resident was robbed of a load of household goods at his home.There are allegations that he and Cui are resident in Namibia on the basis of fraudulent visas, the Magistrate noted in her ruling.She said it appeared to her that there was not that much direct evidence to implicate Cui and Zhang in the offences they are accused of.However, she also noted, it appeared that the trio may be involved in some larger-scale criminal activities – an apparent reference to claims that Yu was involved in organised crime in Namibia.The three suspects have to appear in court again on December 3.After she made her ruling, Magistrate Mahalie made it clear that a senior Police officer investigating the case had promised the court that he would see to it that Yu – who is paralysed from his waist down – is kept in conditions where his physical needs could be met.The officer would have to keep his word, she indicated.The trio have been in custody since early August.They face a range of charges, including one of dealing in 200 grams of heroin – which the Police claim is the largest single quantity of this drug yet to have been confiscated in Namibia – and charges over the discovery of thousands of allegedly pirate-brand cigarettes in Yu’s possession.The trio have denied guilt.Yu has been living in Namibia for the past eight years.In that time, he has been arrested and prosecuted in several cases.The most recent were over a shooting incident in which an associate of his let loose a burst of automatic gunfire in a restaurant of an upmarket Windhoek hotel, and an armed robbery in which a Windhoek resident was robbed of a load of household goods at his home.There are allegations that he and Cui are resident in Namibia on the basis of fraudulent visas, the Magistrate noted in her ruling.She said it appeared to her that there was not that much direct evidence to implicate Cui and Zhang in the offences they are accused of.However, she also noted, it appeared that the trio may be involved in some larger-scale criminal activities – an apparent reference to claims that Yu was involved in organised crime in Namibia.The three suspects have to appear in court again on December 3.After she made her ruling, Magistrate Mahalie made it clear that a senior Police officer investigating the case had promised the court that he would see to it that Yu – who is paralysed from his waist down – is kept in conditions where his physical needs could be met.The officer would have to keep his word, she indicated.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!