A Grootfontein resident facing a terrorism charge amongst a host of other charges has applied to be represented by a State lawyer.
This was indicated on Tuesday by his current privately instructed lawyer, Wihan Brand, when Jona Hangula (34) made a third appearance in the Windhoek High Court for a scheduled pre-trial hearing.
Brand told Deputy Judge President Hannelie Prinsloo that he is instructed to represent Hangula during the pre-trial phases and a scheduled formal bail hearing, but not for the trial and is awaiting instructions from Legal Aid on how to proceed. The judge postponed the matter to the next mention’s role on 20 August for the Legal Aid application. Hangula was arrested on 21 June 2023.
He faces 19 charges, including one charge of arranging for the retention or control of funds belonging to persons involved in terrorist or proliferation activities.
He also faces one count of membership in an organisation involved in terrorist or proliferation activities.
In addition, he stands accused of two counts of terrorism and funding terrorist activities. He further faces two counts of recruiting persons to become members of a terrorist organisation or participate in terrorism or proliferation activities.
He is also charged with one count of high treason.
In addition to these charges, Hangula faces prosecution on 13 counts of employing a person in Namibia in contravention of the Immigration Control Act.
He denied guilt on all charges in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in December last year. It is alleged by the State that he used WhatsApp groups to entice members of the public to become members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al Shebab.
He allegedly received US$6.5 million [about N$116.5 million] from various institutions and N$30 million from one institution.
The institutions are not named in the court documents.
It is also alleged by the State that Hangula conspired to carry out a violent takeover of the authority of the State in Namibia between 2015 and 2020.
The indictment states that he allegedly conspired or attempted to conspire with others to overthrow the Namibian government and establish an Islamic state in the country.
It is further alleged that Hangula conspired to establish a military base in northern Namibia or southern Angola.
Furthermore, it is alleged by the State that Hangula showed support for designated terrorist organisations, such as ISIS, the Nigerian organisation Boko Haram, ISIS in Mozambique, and groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. Moreover, it is alleged that he attempted to recruit support for those organisations and encouraged people to join the organisations. He declared a willingness to send money to ISIS supporters in camps in Syria, it is alleged.
In addition, he allegedly attempted to recruit a suicide bomber.
Hangula is the first and only person to have been charged under Namibia’s Prevention and Combating of Terrorist and Proliferation Activities Act of 2014, which came into force in July 2014.
He remains in custody at the section for trial-awaiting inmates at the Windhoek Central Prison.
-rrouth@nepc.com.na