Police accuse NSHR of not having facts straight

WHILE the Police investigation continues into recent charges of unprovoked violence by NamPol and Namibia Defence Force (NDF) members on residents of Mariental, Police yesterday denied a similar incident which is said to have happened at Oshakati during the same time.

The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) on Sunday claimed that a number of Police officers broke into NSHR employee David Jeremiah’s home while he was entertaining guests in his living room at around 02h00 on Thursday. He claimed that the officers assaulted and arrested 10 people without identifying themselves or informing the people of the charges brought against them.The Police’s public relations unit yesterday said that the NSHR’s claim was premature and that the human rights body had failed to pin down the facts before making these allegations public.”I don’t know why they say this was a house, because the Flamingo Bar (where the incident took place) is a bar,” Police spokesperson Warrant Officer James Matengu told The Namibian yesterday.According to a Police statement, Police were at the bar to stop it serving liquor after legal trading hours.”The group was formally requested to open the door of the bar so that the Police could get inside.They refused to open the door and this prompted the Police to use force in accordance with provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act to (gain) access (to) the premises,” the Police countered yesterday.According to the Police, the group allegedly failed to co-operate with the law-enforcement officers.The Police alleged that they hadconducted themselves in a disorderly manner.This resulted in them being arrested on charges of obstructing or hindering the Police in the execution of their duties, consuming alcohol at a bar during prohibited hours, failing or refusing to leave the premises upon the request of the Police; and becoming violent and conducting themselves in a disorderly manner.The Police released the names of nine people who were arrested, saying that they had all been informed of the reasons for their arrest and were released with warnings.They still have to appear in court to answer to the charges against them.He claimed that the officers assaulted and arrested 10 people without identifying themselves or informing the people of the charges brought against them.The Police’s public relations unit yesterday said that the NSHR’s claim was premature and that the human rights body had failed to pin down the facts before making these allegations public.”I don’t know why they say this was a house, because the Flamingo Bar (where the incident took place) is a bar,” Police spokesperson Warrant Officer James Matengu told The Namibian yesterday.According to a Police statement, Police were at the bar to stop it serving liquor after legal trading hours.”The group was formally requested to open the door of the bar so that the Police could get inside.They refused to open the door and this prompted the Police to use force in accordance with provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act to (gain) access (to) the premises,” the Police countered yesterday.According to the Police, the group allegedly failed to co-operate with the law-enforcement officers.The Police alleged that they hadconducted themselves in a disorderly manner.This resulted in them being arrested on charges of obstructing or hindering the Police in the execution of their duties, consuming alcohol at a bar during prohibited hours, failing or refusing to leave the premises upon the request of the Police; and becoming violent and conducting themselves in a disorderly manner.The Police released the names of nine people who were arrested, saying that they had all been informed of the reasons for their arrest and were released with warnings.They still have to appear in court to answer to the charges against them.