The Namibian in firing line over cell overcrowding

THE Ministry of Safety and Security has objected to a headline in yesterday’s The Namibian, which read ‘Police in firing line over cell overcrowding’.

According to the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Egbertus Sterkenberg, Friday’s meeting on the overcrowding in Police holding cells was solely to discuss factors contributing to overcrowded Police cells, and to make recommendations to ease the problem.’At no time were the Police put in the firing line over cell overcrowding,’ Sterkenberg said.In his statement on Friday, Judge President Petrus Damaseb charged that laziness and a lack of co-operation on the part of the Police were contributing to the problem.He took issue with the high number of criminal cases being postponed for further investigation without any valid reasons given, and further blamed this situation for witnesses becoming untraceable after long periods of no contact.