No warrants issued for interception in past 2 years

NOT a single warrant has been issued by a Judge to the National Central Intelligence Service (NCIS) to intercept electronic communication or similar activities from January 2007 to the end of May this year, Deputy Justice Minster Utoni Nujoma said on Thursday during the last day of the winter session of the National Assembly
Responding to a question by DTA Chairman Johan de Waal, Nujoma said Judge President Petrus Damaseb had confirmed on enquiry that no warrants or approvals were issued for that period.

Just a day earlier, opposition MPs walked out of the Chamber after Swapo MPs objected to a last-minute amendment proposed by DTA’s Katuutire Kaura to the Communications Bill.The bill’s Clause 70, dubbed the ‘Spy Clause’, allows for interception of electronic communications with ‘…may be a warrant.’The opposition wanted the term ‘may be’ substituted with ‘shall be’ to ensure a warrant is always issued before interception takes place. The Swapo benches refused and all opposition MPs present walked out in protest.