By Tunomukwathi Asino
WINDHOEK – The case against 46-year-old Frenchman, Mathieu Nicolas Furic, who was arrested in Namibia for sexual crimes allegedly committed against children in India, was remanded to 4 August on Friday in the Regional Court in Katutura.
Furic was denied bail when he appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court last month.
Furic was nabbed by the Namibian Police in Walvis Bay last month for allegedly molesting children in India during November last year.
He skipped the country after his crimes were uncovered and was on the Interpol wanted list.
He was arrested in Walvis Bay when he tried to enter the country as a fisherman to work on one of the fishing vessels at the coast.
An online Indian newspaper, New India Express, reports that a case was registered against Furic on 3 December 2013 for allegedly sexually abusing a group of children in Odisha’s beach town of Puri between 23 and 26 November 2013.
The newspaper further reported that the alleged crimes came to light after an American tourist, identified as James Foster Gorman, a key witness in the case lodged a complaint with the local police in December after he saw Furic perform oral sex with the children.
Allegations are also that Furic assaulted Gorman when he protested against his acts.
Gorman allegedly talked to some of the children believed to have been molested by Furic and recorded their conversation on video. He then handed the video footage to the Indian authorities to investigate Furic.
On the basis of the footage and a written complaint, police raided the hotel where Furic was staying shortly afterwards, but found that he had left for France.
Furic has been booked for committing offences under the Indian penal code, including wrongful restraint, causing hurt, criminal intimidation and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Prosecutor Simba Nduna appeared for the State on Friday, while Petrus Elago represented Furic.