Roland Routh
Windhoek-Merien Ngouabi Namoloh, 33, the son of the Minister of Safety and Security (Rtd) Major-General Charles Namoloh was acquitted on all charges he faced in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday
Namoloh (Jnr) faced seven charges resulting from an incident that happened March 4, 2005 when he, at the time a constable, was said to have prevented another police officer from executing his duties and insulted him at the Windhoek/Okahandja roadblock.
He faced one charge of obstructing a member in the execution of his duties, one count of crimen injuria and five counts of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
Namoloh (Jnr) allegedly screamed that Sergeant Jakobus Nowaseb should be fired from the police force and that he would report him to the inspector general as Nowaseb was allegedly demanding money from members of the public to allow them through the roadblock.
Nowaseb was carrying out official duties; thereby by humiliating Nowaseb in front of members of the public Namoloh (Jnr) faced a count of crimen injuria, court documents indicated.
He was arrested on April 30, but remained free on a warning.
The matter arose from a complaint Namoloh (Jnr) received from the owner of a fleet of busses driving to the north that Nowaseb was allegedly bribing his drivers.
When Namoloh (Jnr) arrived at the roadblock he informed Nowaseb that he knew what he was doing and that the inspector general would be informed. According to Magistrate Ilge Rheent, the State failed to prove that the accused wilfully obstructed the complainant in doing his work.
With regard to the charge of crimen injuria, the magistrate said that in her view the words uttered by the accused were not “injurious” in the context they were used.
The State failed to establish that the complainant’s dignity was impaired in any manner by the utterances of the words: “You should be fired from the police force and I will report you to the inspector general as you are demanding money from public members in order to allow them to pass through the roadblock.”
With regard to the charges of defeating or obstructing the course of justice, it was conceded by the State that there was no evidence to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Namoloh (Jnr) was represented by Boris ‘The Mouth’ Isaacks and Ivann Tjizu prosecuted.