Steven Klukowski
KEETMANSHOOP – The Keetmanshoop Rural constituency councillor was arrested on a charge of assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm in Aroab.
//Kharas police commander David Indongo said the suspect, Gerrit Witbooi, has been arrested for injuring Swapo branch administrator Johannes Vilander in Aroab on Thursday by allegedly throwing a chair at him, in the process breaking the victim’s arm.
“I then instructed the police station commander of Araob, after obtaining all related statements and the J88 (injury report), to arrest the suspect procedurally,” said Indongo.
The police chief added that the Namibian law in place does not exonerate anybody, regardless of stature or position, to be arrested when accused of committing a criminal act, pending police investigations.
The alleged assault happened at the Aroab police station, where the alleged victim and councillor were engaged in a heated exchange over missing money from the council as well as an accident which the councillor apparently never reported.
Meanwhile, Swapo’s //Kharas coordinator Matheus Mumbala described the incident as unfortunate. “As a political party, we always respected Gertjie as a true leader fighting for the interests of his supporters in his constituency, and hope and believe this incident will blow over soonest,” he said.
Mumbala added that the altercation playing off in front of the town’s police commander could have been resolved through dialogue instead.
“Rest assured that Swapo was and is still willing to accept any Namibian who wishes to join,” the politician jokingly remarked.
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