A SOUTH African man who was extradited to Namibia late last year in connection with child rape and trafficking charges told a judge in the Windhoek High Court yesterday that he needed more time to prepare for his trial.
On the day that his trial was due to start before deputy judge president Hosea Angula, Marthinus Pretorius (47) told the judge he needed more time to go through the police docket of his case, and to prepare his defence to the charges he is facing.
As a result of Pretorius’ announcement to the court, his trial did not begin as planned, and his case was postponed to tomorrow so that his defence lawyer, Mese Tjituri, can inform the court if Pretorius’ legal representation will still be in place on 16 July, which is the new date set for the start of the trial.
Pretorius is indicted on six counts of trafficking in persons, which is an offence under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, seven counts of rape, and six alternative charges of committing or attempting to commit a sexual act with a child under the age of 16.
The charges are based on allegations that in 2012, while Pretorius was employed by an Erongo region mining company and living at Swakopmund, he arranged with a Namibian woman, Johanna Lukas, for her to recruit underage girls with whom he could commit sexual acts.
During April, May and June 2012, Pretorius allegedly received two girls – aged 13 and 14 – who had been provided to him by Lukas. He allegedly raped both girls by committing sexual acts with them on a number of occasions, the prosecution is charging.
In June 2012, a third girl was also allegedly provided to Pretorius, and subsequently raped by him.
Pretorius was arrested in South Africa in March 2016, after the Namibian government requested the South African authorities to extradite him to Namibia on charges of rape and trafficking in persons. He was extradited in December last year, and made a first appearance in the Windhoek High Court in January.
He was informed of his trial dates during a pretrial hearing before judge Angula in March.
Pretorius told the judge yesterday that he had a copy of the police docket with him for only a week before his lawyer collected it from him.
He also said he did not have any problems with Tjituri, but only wanted to be given more time to prepare for his trial.
“I’m not here to waste the court’s time,” Pretorius said. “I want to finish this case myself.”
Tjituri has been instructed by the Directorate of Legal Aid to represent Pretorius.
Johanna Lukas and a Zambian co-accused, Gwen Nelwembe, stood trial in the Windhoek High Court during 2014 and 2015.
The state eventually ended the prosecution against Nelwembe, after one of the complainants in the case who was expected to give evidence implicating her could not be traced.
Lukas (25) was convicted on five charges of trafficking in persons and five counts of rape in June 2015. She was sentenced to an effective prison term of 13 years in August 2015.
Lukas, who was present in court yesterday, is included in the list of state witnesses in the prosecution’s indictment. State advocate Felistas Shikerete-Vendura is due to conduct the prosecution.
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