WINDHOEK – The man accused of robbing a lady in Windhoek West of N$9 made his first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court this week.
The man, Mervin Swartbooi, told Magistrate Tuvoye Nuule that he wished to plead ‘guilty with a reason.’ He was granted bail of N$200 however the court rejected his ‘guilty plea with a reason.’ Nuule told Swartbooi that a guilty plea with reason amounts to a not guilty plea. It is alleged that Swartbooi threatened the lady with force and robbed her of the N$9. Swartbooi who indicated that he will defend himself further told the court that he makes a living by doing casual work, cleaning people’s yards and could only afford bail of N$200 after prosecutor Elina Hashipara proposed bail of N$300. Matters could have turned out differently for Swartbooi, since Hashipara omitted to enter his residential address on the charge sheet prompting Nuule to enquire about Swartbooi’s residential address and Hashipara admitting her failure to enter it on the charge sheet.
The case was postponed to February 27 for further investigation and the fixing of a trial date. When this reporter enquired from Swartbooi why he robbed the complainant of N$9 he explained that it was a misunderstanding and that he met the two ladies in question on Monday in Windhoek West and one of them gave him the money. A clearly distraught Swartbooi said that he has never been in trouble with the law before and tries to sustain himself by honest means.
By Roland Routh