Officers up on murder charges

NINE members of the Police’s Serious Crime Unit and Special Branch at Keetmanshoop appeared in the Keetmanshoop Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of murder.

They are Cyroll Serogwe, Daniel Nicodemus, Marthinus Punye, Johannes Mushelenga, Heidi Dean, Niklaas !Hoeseb, Fabian Rikambura and unit commanders Jacobus Otto and Lazarus !Nowaseb. Magistrate William Kasitomo postponed the case until February 23 after State Prosecutor Billy Lutaka asked for time to study the indictments against the Police officers.Gerrit van den Heever of Lentin, Botma and Van den Heever Legal Practitioners is representing all nine officers.Bail of N$1 500 granted to each of the nine officers during their first appearance in April was extended.The nine are accused of beating to death a suspect, Makarius Iikali, while they were interrogating him at the end of February.Iikali was one of five men arrested on charges of theft and housebreaking for allegedly stealing vault keys belonging to the local Standard Bank branch.After Iikali’s death, the charges against the other theft suspects were dropped.The suspects claimed they were beaten repeatedly and shocked with an electric device during the interrogation.Another of the suspects, Benjamin Basson, jumped from the first floor of the Police station during the interrogation, but survived the fall.Magistrate William Kasitomo postponed the case until February 23 after State Prosecutor Billy Lutaka asked for time to study the indictments against the Police officers.Gerrit van den Heever of Lentin, Botma and Van den Heever Legal Practitioners is representing all nine officers.Bail of N$1 500 granted to each of the nine officers during their first appearance in April was extended.The nine are accused of beating to death a suspect, Makarius Iikali, while they were interrogating him at the end of February.Iikali was one of five men arrested on charges of theft and housebreaking for allegedly stealing vault keys belonging to the local Standard Bank branch.After Iikali’s death, the charges against the other theft suspects were dropped.The suspects claimed they were beaten repeatedly and shocked with an electric device during the interrogation.Another of the suspects, Benjamin Basson, jumped from the first floor of the Police station during the interrogation, but survived the fall.