WINDHOEK – A 33-year-old man made a first appearance before Magistrate Tuvoye Nuule in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on six charges of theft by false pretence.
Wyne Nel was not asked to plead and his legal rights were explained to him. Nel opted to apply for Legal Aid. It is alleged that he duped various Angolan citizens into believing that he can secure their children placing at various schools in Windhoek. He allegedly told them he was employed by the Ministry of Finance and for a fee would secure admissions for their children. In the first charge it is alleged he conned an Angolan family into paying N$7 000 for admission into Jan Möhr Secondary School.
In another instance he allegedly duped another Angolan family into paying him N$3 855 for placement at Eros Primary School. It is further alleged he promised admission to Jan Möhr to another four families for fees of N$20 000, N$8 000, N$2 600 and N$2 200 respectively. None of the money exceeding N$40 000 has been recovered the court was informed by Prosecutor Letta Amakali.
The State recommended Nel be granted bail of N$15 000 which he protested. He informed Nuule that he can only afford bail of N$3 000 as he lives with his girlfriend who maintains him. He said he is not formally employed, but that he helps his brother at the latter’s tattoo parlour where he can make up to N$2 500 a month. Nuule granted Nel bail of N$6 000.
Nel told New Era in the corridor of the court on his way back to the holding cells that the charges are a bunch of lies. He asserted that the Angolans are in Namibia illegally and since he wanted to expose them they brought the bogus charges against him.
By Roland Routh