Man accused of tying victim to pole and beating him denied bail

…two more expected to appear in court today

Community members from Komsberg farm in the Ariamsvlei area of the //­Kharas region have expressed shock and dismay over the assault of a local man over the Easter weekend.

Wesley Basson (30) was allegedly assaulted on Sunday by a group of six men suspecting him of theft.

//Kharas regional crime investigations coordinator Nicodemus Mbango says the police found the victim tied to a pole at the suspects’ house, where he was reportedly assaulted.

The police arrested Andreas Amunyela (44), who appeared in the Karasburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Amunyela was remanded in custody.

His case was postponed to 13 May, while two more suspects have been arrested. They are expected to appear in court today.

Gino Swartbooi, a resident of Komsberg, this week said: “This is the most disgusting and unsettling situation we have witnessed at Komsberg. We cannot keep quiet about it. Nobody proved that Basson was guilty of stealing any money from the men who assaulted him.

“Where in the books of Namibian law does it say use mob justice to deal with alleged criminals in your vicinity?

“They were armed with knobkerries and pangas, pulling this man, whose hands and feet were tied, from one location to the owner of the shops’ house in another location. No, this is unacceptable.”

Mbango said it is alleged that Amunyela tied Basson up with wires and assaulted him, but Basson managed to free himself and ran.

He was, however, reportedly pursued and caught again by Amunyela, tied up with ropes, assaulted and dragged from one residential area to another where the suspect stayed.

“When the suspect was questioned about what happened, he claimed the victim had broken into his shop and stole money.

However, he never reported the matter. He alluded that even if he reported the matter, he knew that he would never get his money back. That’s why he decided to take the law into his own hands,” said Mbango.

Basson said he and a group of friends were drinking the night before at the shop when the owner claimed money was stolen.

He says he fell asleep and went back to the shop the next day to look for his friends, and asked the owner if he did not see his friends.

The owner replied he did not, Basson said.

“I stayed with the owner at the shop and continued to share jokes and laugh. He never spoke of money that was missing.

“Later, when he saw me, he asked me whether I hadn’t seen my friends, and I said no. Then he grabbed me and started assaulting me,” he said.

Basson said Amunyela even told him he knows who stole his money, and that Basson should just reveal the whereabouts of these people.

“But the more I said let’s find the guys to find out what is going on, they just beat me with knuppels (batons), kieries (knobkerries), etc.

“He tied me up the first time with a wire and dragged me to his house, where he tied me to a pole with ropes and assaulted me,” Basson said.

Basson’s mother, Anna, earlier this week said she wants people to be taught that it is not right to take the law into their own hands.

She said community members should rather help each other.

“So I hope that by talking about mob justice we can remove it from our societies and let the law take its course. They have hurt this child badly. And I think it was unnecessary,” she said.