Cop accused of scavenging at bus crash scene

A POLICE Constable has appeared in the Grootfontein Magistrate’s Court accused of scavenging road accident victims’ possessions at the scene of the bus crash that claimed 28 lives on the Grootfontein-Rundu road on May 31.

Constable Franciskus Dausab (36) appeared before Magistrate André le Roux on a charge of theft on Thursday. According to the court record, he was arrested on Monday last week.It is alleged that Dausab was one of the Police officers from Grootfontein dispatched to the scene of the accident where a bus and a truck collided some 30 kilometres north of Grootfontein.The death toll in the accident was the largest ever in a single road accident in Namibia.Dausab was allegedly accompanied by two trial-awaiting detainees from the Grootfontein Police cells.It is claimed that they gathered belongings of the accident victims, including as much as N$10 000 in cash.Dausab is then alleged to have taken these to his house.He allegedly promised the detainees that he would help them pay their bail with the money taken from the scene if they were to be granted bail at a later stage.The Police searched his house and allegedly discovered items such as bedding, curtains and clothing believed to have belonged to the accident victims.Public Prosecutor Karin van Wyk asked the Magistrate to postpone Dausab’s case to September 20 for further investigation.The Magistrate also ordered that Dausab be released from custody on a warning that he has to return to court on that date.According to the court record, he was arrested on Monday last week.It is alleged that Dausab was one of the Police officers from Grootfontein dispatched to the scene of the accident where a bus and a truck collided some 30 kilometres north of Grootfontein. The death toll in the accident was the largest ever in a single road accident in Namibia.Dausab was allegedly accompanied by two trial-awaiting detainees from the Grootfontein Police cells.It is claimed that they gathered belongings of the accident victims, including as much as N$10 000 in cash.Dausab is then alleged to have taken these to his house.He allegedly promised the detainees that he would help them pay their bail with the money taken from the scene if they were to be granted bail at a later stage.The Police searched his house and allegedly discovered items such as bedding, curtains and clothing believed to have belonged to the accident victims.Public Prosecutor Karin van Wyk asked the Magistrate to postpone Dausab’s case to September 20 for further investigation.The Magistrate also ordered that Dausab be released from custody on a warning that he has to return to court on that date.