Alleged “mafia” boss and merchant in endangered species, Hou Xuecheng (47), made a second appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on a charge of assault by threat.
Xuecheng, who is no stranger to Namibian courts, allegedly threatened to shoot and kill Chinese businesswoman Stina Wu on 20 November last year in Windhoek.
Hou was arrested on 28 November, and he made his first appearance on 2 December when bail was denied, and he was held in custody.
The Stat, represented by Adrie Jo-Anne Rickerts, objected to bail on the grounds that Hou faces serious charges, fear of interference with State witnesses, complainant and further investigations. The State also argued that he was a flight risk, and has a propensity to commit other offences while out on bail.
The State argued that it would not be in the interest of justice or the public to release the accused on bail. He was, however, eventually released on N$10 000 bail on 24 December under strict conditions.
He must report two times a week, on Mondays and Fridays between the hours of 08h00 and 18h00, at the Windhoek police station. He must also not have any direct or indirect contact with the complainant and must hand over his personal firearms – one pistol and one rifle – to the Namibian Police until the finalisation of the case.
It was further ordered that he shall not commit any other offence while out on bail, and must not leave the district of Windhoek without the written permission of the investigating officer. Hou was ordered not to interfere with State witnesses or police investigations in any way.
He is also not allowed to apply for a passport or travel documents while his case is pending. The matter postponed to 6 March, and his bail was extended.
Hou is represented by Jermaine Muchali. He has been in the news several times for allegedly exporting endangered Rosewood trees illegally. He was also charged with possession or dealing in four elephant tusks with a combined weight of 54 kilogrammes, valued at
N$598 000, in Windhoek on 11 June 2014.
He was further charged with possessing controlled wildlife products without a permit.
In respect of those charges, the prosecution is alleging that Xuecheng was in possession of a cheetah skin and a leopard skin in Windhoek on 12 June 2014 without having the required permits to possess the skins, and that he also had seven zebra skins, a pangolin skin and a stuffed leopard head in his possession at China Town in Windhoek on 11 October 2014 without permits to possess those wildlife products.