Tsumeb
One of Namibia’s most renowned football exports, Mohammed Ouseb, was denied bail yesterday when he appeared in the Tsumeb Magistrate’s Court to face allegations that he on several occasions raped an 18-year-old schoolgirl.
The 42-year-old Ouseb, a former KickOff footballer of the year, was arrested on Monday after reportedly having been on the run for a week and made his first court appearance in connection with the rape charge yesterday.
It is alleged that Ouseb was caught red-handed by the victim’s grandmother while having sexual intercourse with the schoolgirl, although it is not immediately clear where it occurred.
The state objected to Ouseb’s bail application due to the seriousness of the crime, as well as the complainant that filed a statement objecting to the granting of bail. He was denied thus denied bail and the case was postponed to October 21 for further investigations and legal representation.
According to the police report, during the course of last year the accused allegedly offered the victim some unidentified brown powder to sniff from a bottle, which caused her to lose consciousness.
It is alleged the former footballer, who also played for Lyn Oslo in Norway, then had sexual intercourse with the teen under coercive circumstances.
The latest encounter is said to have happened last week Monday when the suspect allegedly dragged the victim into a toilet and had sex with her. The teen’s grandmother apparently caught him in the act, but the former defender fled the scene and went into hiding.
Ouseb was once an integral part of the national football team that re-wrote history by recording the country’s first qualification for the African Cup of Nations in 1998.
It was after his noteworthy performance at the 1998 tournament in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, that South African glamour club Kaizer Chiefs snapped him up.
After a stint in Norway Ouseb returned to South Africa, where he played for Moroka Swallows before returning to Namibia to see off his playing career at Orlando Pirates.
A married man, who started his career with Tsumeb-based Chief Santos, he is now an assistant coach.
He appeared before Magistrate David Munsu, while Nelao Ya France represented the state.