Seeis Police Station commander has denied that former fisheries minister Bernhard Esau and his five co-accused are being held in horrible conditions.
Esau who wants the High Court to order their release from custody is being held at the station together former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, former Investec managing director James and his cousin Tamson Hatuikulipi, Ricardo Gustavo and Pius Mwatelulo.
They are facing several charges among them fraud, money laundering and tax evasion emanating from accepting bribes amounting to N$150m from an Icelandic fishing company in exchange for quotas.
The six are expected in court Thursday at 08h30 after Esau had made an urgent application pleading for their release because the warrants of arrest were not properly issued and that their remand date – 20 Feb. 2020 – was far.
Esau also complained about their condition in the holding cells, not enough food and medicine and that they were being denied enough visitation hours.
According to Esau, he and some of the co-accused fell ill when he was transported in the back of a police van when they were taken to their farms for searches.
Shetunyenga Shetunyenga, who is the Seeis Police Station commander, however, said in his answering affidavit that Esau and his co-accused failed to set out the nature of the horrible conditions or what they perceive to be then horrible conditions.
“I should state further that I am at pain to answer those blunt accusations,” Shetunyenga said.
He added that the officers carry out hourly patrols checking on the inmates and that none of them lodged a complaint since every issue is recorded in the occurrence book.
“I can outrightly dispute such (claims) as baseless and false, “the commander said.
To Esau’s claim that he had fallen ill when he was transported in the back of a van, Shetunyenga said that the claim came as a surprise because the former fisheries minister never said anything to him or anyone.
“To this end, the record of the occurrence book stands in direct contrast and opposition to their allegations,” Shetunyenga said.
