Witbooi hit-and-run accident case postponed to July 27

THE case of a man arrested in connection with a hit-and-run accident, which resulted in the death of a close relative of Deputy Prime Minister Hendrik Witbooi last year, has been postponed to July.

The 34-year-old suspect, Gideon Johannes de Waal, made a second appearance before Windhoek Magistrate Tuyenikelao Haikango yesterday, when he was told that his case had been put forward to July 27 for further Police investigation. The Magistrate said it was the final postponement to allow the Police to complete their investigation and for outstanding forensic laboratory results to be made available to the court.De Waal’s defence lawyer Hennie Barnard claimed yesterday that the prosecuting authority was unnecessarily delaying the trial.He is charged with culpable homicide, defeating the ends of justice and failure to report a road accident to the Police within 24 hours.De Waal, who is out on N$3 000 bail, was arrested in October.He is alleged to have been the driver of the vehicle that struck Dawid Dirk Riaan Petersen (27), who was walking back to the Deputy Prime Minister’s residence with another relative, Edith Mildred Witbooi (22).Petersen died at Katutura State Hospital a few hours later.- NampaThe Magistrate said it was the final postponement to allow the Police to complete their investigation and for outstanding forensic laboratory results to be made available to the court.De Waal’s defence lawyer Hennie Barnard claimed yesterday that the prosecuting authority was unnecessarily delaying the trial.He is charged with culpable homicide, defeating the ends of justice and failure to report a road accident to the Police within 24 hours.De Waal, who is out on N$3 000 bail, was arrested in October.He is alleged to have been the driver of the vehicle that struck Dawid Dirk Riaan Petersen (27), who was walking back to the Deputy Prime Minister’s residence with another relative, Edith Mildred Witbooi (22).Petersen died at Katutura State Hospital a few hours later.- Nampa