Teek trial enters the home stretch

THE High Court trial of former Judge Pio Teek yesterday slowly inched closer to what should be make-or-break testimony against – or in favour – of Teek: testimony by the two girls alleged to have accused Teek of sexual molestation.

With Teek’s trial resuming before South African Judge Ronnie Bosielo after a three-month interruption, the case moved ever closer to the testimony of the two girls at the root of the eight charges against Teek . Judge Bosielo yesterday heard testimony from three child witnesses – the first children to testify in the trial – as the court held its first closed-door session of the trial.The State has another three witnesses to call in support of its case, Deputy Prosecutor General Heidi Jacobs told the Judge shortly before the court adjourned after yesterday’s session.The girls whom Teek is accused of abducting from Katutura to his house in the Brakwater area north of Windhoek on the evening of January 28 last year are expected to be the last two witnesses.Jacobs is then expected to close the State’s case.The girls were aged nine and ten at the time.Former High Court Judge President and Supreme Court Judge of Appeal Teek (59) denies all the charges.In his plea at the start of his trial in the last week of April, he admitted that he had taken the two girls home with him that evening, but maintained that he had done this out of concern for the children, after they had complained to him that they were hungry and alleged that they were being mistreated at home.”At no stage did I ever touch the girls or give them alcohol.I at all stages acted in a noble manner and merely had good intentions to assist the two hungry children.I had no intention whatsoever of depriving their custodians of custody of the children at all,” he stated in the last part of his plea.In some respects of his plea, the two boys and a girl who testified yesterday supported Teek’s version of the events that took place at the scene where he picked up the two other girls near the Katutura Single Quarters that evening.On some other points, though, they contradicted his version, while also contradicting each other on some issues.As Teek stated in his plea, all three children who gave evidence yesterday related that at some point on the evening of January 28 last year the other two girls were running after Teek’s vehicle, calling out to him to stop.Teek had further stated in his plea, he gave the children a short ride in his car – first a group of boys, and then the group of girls, the three young witnesses told the court.He thereafter gave the boys N$5, and gave N$1 to the girls, the witnesses further confirmed Teek’s plea.On other details of his plea they differed, however.The first boy who testified disputed Teek’s claim that the two girls had complained to him that they were hungry.On the other hand, though, the boy also conceded, he did not hear everything that was said between the girls and Teek.According to Teek, he was in that area of Katutura because he was looking for an employee of his.When a group of children appeared by the side of his car after he had stopped near the Single Quarters, he first asked them if they knew the man he was looking for or knew where to find him, Teek stated in his plea.The second boy to testify yesterday, however, claimed that no such questions were asked by the man who stopped after the two girls at the centre of the charges had run after his car, calling out for him to stop.This boy further told the court that one of the girls had said to a third girl in their group, before she and the other girl drove off with Teek in his car, that they would have new clothes the next morning.She also asked this third girl not to tell their parents anything about this, the boy claimed.The boy further confirmed that the man in the vehicle – accepted to have been Teek – never forced any of the children to get into his car.The third girl, who refused to accompany her two girlfriends when they drove off with Teek, told the court that the one other girl – the nine-year-old – told her before they and Teek drove away that new clothes would have been bought for them by the next morning.The nine-year-old also told her that she, too, must get into the vehicle, so that she would likewise receive new clothes the next day, this witness claimed.The nine-year-old girl had also told Teek that her mother was at the Single Quarters, the girl who testified yesterday further told the court.Again this is in line with part of Teek’s plea, in which he said that when he asked the girls where their parents were, they told him their mothers were at the Single Quarters, their fathers were not at home, and their mothers were always beating them.With yesterday’s evidence, Judge Bosielo has now heard the testimony of 15 State witnesses over the six days in all that the trial has been in progress.Teek is being represented by a three-man defence team of Richard Metcalfe, Louis du Pisani and Linus Mokhatu, instructed by Legal Shield Namibia.Judge Bosielo yesterday heard testimony from three child witnesses – the first children to testify in the trial – as the court held its first closed-door session of the trial.The State has another three witnesses to call in support of its case, Deputy Prosecutor General Heidi Jacobs told the Judge shortly before the court adjourned after yesterday’s session.The girls whom Teek is accused of abducting from Katutura to his house in the Brakwater area north of Windhoek on the evening of January 28 last year are expected to be the last two witnesses.Jacobs is then expected to close the State’s case.The girls were aged nine and ten at the time.Former High Court Judge President and Supreme Court Judge of Appeal Teek (59) denies all the charges.In his plea at the start of his trial in the last week of April, he admitted that he had taken the two girls home with him that evening, but maintained that he had done this out of concern for the children, after they had complained to him that they were hungry and alleged that they were being mistreated at home.”At no stage did I ever touch the girls or give them alcohol.I at all stages acted in a noble manner and merely had good intentions to assist the two hungry children.I had no intention whatsoever of depriving their custodians of custody of the children at all,” he stated in the last part of his plea.In some respects of his plea, the two boys and a girl who testified yesterday supported Teek’s version of the events that took place at the scene where he picked up the two other girls near the Katutura Single Quarters that evening.On some other points, though, they contradicted his version, while also contradicting each other on some issues.As Teek stated in his plea, all three children who gave evidence yesterday related that at some point on the evening of January 28 last year the other two girls were running after Teek’s vehicle, calling out to him to stop.Teek had further stated in his plea, he gave the children a short ride in his car – first a group of boys, and then the group of girls, the three young witnesses told the court.He thereafter gave the boys N$5, and gave N$1 to the girls, the witnesses further confirmed Teek’s plea.On other details of his plea they differed, however.The first boy who testified disputed Teek’s claim that the two girls had complained to him that they were hungry.On the other hand, though, the boy also conceded, he did not hear everything that was said between the girls and Teek.According to Teek, he was in that area of Katutura because he was looking for an employee of his.When a group of children appeared by the side of his car after he had stopped near the Single Quarters, he first asked them if they knew the man he was looking for or knew where to find him, Teek stated in his plea.The second boy to testify yesterday, however, claimed that no such questions were asked by the man who stopped after the two girls at the centre of the charges had run after his car, calling out for him to stop.This boy further told the court that one of the girls had said to a third girl in their group, before she and the other girl drove off with Teek in his car, that they would have new clothes the next morning.She also asked this third girl not to tell their parents anything about this, the boy claimed.The boy further confirmed that the man in the vehicle – accepted to have been Teek – never forced any of the children to get into his car.The third girl, who refused to accompany her two girlfriends when they drove off with Teek, told the court that the one other girl – the nine-year-old – told her before they and Teek drove away that new clothes would have been bought for them by the next morning.The nine-year-old also told her that she, too, must get into the vehicle, so that she would likewise receive new clothes the next day, this witness claimed.The nine-year-old girl had also told Teek that her mother was at the Single Quarters, the girl who testified yesterday further told the court.Again this is in line with part of Teek’s plea, in which he said that when he asked the girls where their parents were, they told him their mothers were at the Single Quarters, their fathers were not at home, and their mothers were always beating them.With yesterday’s evidence, Judge Bosielo has now heard the testimony of 15 State witnesses over the six days in all that the trial has been in progress.Teek is being represented by a three-man defence team of Richard Metcalfe, Louis du Pisani and Linus Mokhatu, instructed by Legal Shield Namibia.