Antje Nauhaus (34), accused of fraud, forgery, contraventions of the civil aviation regulations and culpable homicide, made her first appearance in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The charges follow the fatal helicopter crash on Monday, 17 July, which led to the deaths of pilot and flight instructor Jacques Jacobs (54) and aviation technician Dirk von Weitz (29).
State prosecutor Anita Likius argued against bail, contending that it was not in the public interest or the administration of justice, due to the serious nature of the crime and fears of interference in the ongoing investigation and potential flight risk.
Magistrate Nelao Brown accepted the state’s application, denying bail and remanding Nauhaus in custody at Walvis Bay until 2 October, pending further investigations.
The defendant was given the right to make a formal bail application and is represented by defence lawyer Willem Greyling of KingLaw.
Namibian Police deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi gave a detailed incident report, outlining the circumstances leading to Nauhaus’ arrest following the fatal helicopter crash east of the Swakopmund airfield, when an investigation was initiated.
“[The suspect] was arrested at her residence at Swakopmund and charged with fraud, forgery and uttering between 29 June and 12 July this year,” said Shikwambi.
“She allegedly unlawfully and intentionally misrepresented, forged, and altered certificates of the registration and flight test permit of the R22 helicopter owned by a Namibia-based aviation company.”
The other charges were later added, and the police confiscated various items, including two iPhones, a smaller phone, six computers, two laptops, two cellphones, two memory sticks, 141 logbooks, three boxes containing financial documents and invoices from Nauhaus’s residence, as well as from the office of the aviation company.
The alleged violations of the Civil Aviation Act encompass the falsification, reproduction, or alteration of maintenance documents, approval requirements, procedures manuals, quality assurance systems, and reports on defects or non-airworthy conditions.
The ill-fated Robin-22 helicopter, brought in from South Africa, was required to undergo specific technical checks and administrative procedures for registration in Namibia.
“The flight test permit used was allegedly forged. The helicopter, a South African flight, had to be licensed in Namibia before it took off,” said Erongo police spokesperson inspector Ileni Shapumba.
The accident happened during a test flight.
The Directorate of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigations in the Ministry of Works and Transport has moved the wreckage to Eros Airport in Windhoek for further examination by aviation accident specialists. The transport minister is expected to deliver an incident report with findings within the next month.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
