WINDHOEK – Businessman Josia ‘Zorro’ Muhongo is demanding N$935 000 from the Namibian Police for what he claims was his recent unlawful arrest.
Muhongo and Emmanuel Kashuupulwa were arrested on February 25 and appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court for allegedly pretending to be police officers and demanding N$300 000 from a man in Ondangwa in order not to arrest him for ‘dealing in diamonds’.
In a letter seen by New Era written by Muhongo’s lawyer Orben Sibeya, addressed to the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Sebastian Ndeitunga, Muhongo claims he suffered injury to his dignity and reputation due to the arrest and detention for a period of approximately 50 hours. For this he is demanding N$200 000 and N$35 000 for legal fees.
However, he claims he also suffered physiological and emotional pain and suffering for which he is demanding N$200 000. He is further demanding N$500 000 for the loss of direct and indirect business income, all of which total N$935 000.
Ndeitunga informed New Era yesterday that he had not yet received the letter.
Muhongo is also demanding a public apology on or before April 15 2015 “failing which legal proceedings shall be instituted against the government,” reads his letter.
New Era could not establish much details but the incident happened on January 20 this year. The two were arrested on February 25. Muhongo was granted bail of N$20 000 while Kashuupulwa the co-accused was denied bail.
The matter was transferred to the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court and will continue on March 9.
Kashuupulwa was denied bail for fear he could interfere with ongoing investigations and the other reason was the fear that he could commit similar offences since the case involves impersonating a police officer.
The letter further states that Muhongo was contacted by the office of the Protected Resource Unit (PRU) and when he arrived at the office, he was informed by three officers that he was suspected of having been involved in a commission of a crime that took place at Bank Windhoek, Ondangwa branch on January 20 between 8am and 11am.
Muhongo allegedly informed the police officers he was not at the scene of the crime and that he was not involved in the matter and provided the police officers with video footage, invoices and the entry and exit control records from Hartlief in Windhoek dated January 20 as his alibi that he was in Windhoek on January 20, between 8am and 11am, the alleged time of the commission of the crime.
“Despite having provided proof to show that he has no involvement in the commission of the crime, our client was still arrested, which was in our view unlawful and malicious,” the letter states.