THE police have warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands following an incident in which two men and a woman were assaulted by a group who accused them of murder.
Police spokesperson, deputy commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi said in a press statement yesterday that the trio was attacked by the mob on 15 July at Ondukuta village, Tsandi constituency of the Omusati region.
The three afterwards reported cases of malicious damage to property and assault against the 31 people who participated in the attack, at the Tsandi Police Station.
Of the 31 suspects, 24 were arrested on 17 July, and the remaining seven on 19 July.
Kanguatjivi said the first group of suspects appeared in the Outapi Magistrate’s Court on 19 July. The second group appeared in court on 22 July. All the suspects were denied bail. The case was postponed to 12 September to allow for further police investigations.
Kanguatjivi said the incident was triggered by the death of 26-year-old Joseph Shiningayamwe Embula on 4 July at Tsandi District Hospital. The family believed Embula died of poisoning.
“On Monday, 8 July, a relative of Embula went to the Tsandi Police Station with the medical certificate of Embula, requesting the police to conduct a post-mortem on the deceased. According to her, the family was not convinced that the deceased died of natural causes, but of poisoning,” stated Kanguatjivi.
He said in order to clarify the matter, the police made arrangements, and a post-mortem was conducted on 11 July at the Okahao Police mortuary, as requested by Embula’s relatives.
The autopsy report, however, ruled out poisoning, and the deceased’s relatives were informed of the findings.
“Despite all these efforts, the mob ignored the outcome of the autopsy, and took the law into their own hands [by attacking the trio],” said Kanguatjivi.
He added that the police arrived at the scene of the attack in time to rescue the three assault victims, and took them to hospital.
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