Swakop special field force member accused of abuse

A RESIDENT of Swakopmund in the Erongo Region says a police officer abused his power by assaulting him at a club recently for no apparent reason.

Maxwell Mbaha is furious after he was allegedly assaulted by a certain ‘Lampard’, a member of the police special field force at New Edition nightclub in Swakopmund on 27 December.

Mbaha said the officer hit him twice on the jaw, and then pushed him against the wall, causing his jaw to swell.

He told Nampa in an interview at his house in the Tamariskia residential area on Monday, that ‘Lampard’ and other police officers came to the nightclub at around 02h00 and found him drinking with some friends outside the club, as it was already past closing time.

“He told us to go and when I said we are not inside a club but outside in a public place, he said I am undermining his authority and he beat me up, handcuffed me and threw me in a police van,” said Mbaha.

He also accused the police officer of pouring beer on him.

One of Mbaha’s friends, a member of the Namibian Navy Air Wing, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Nampa on Monday that he was detained together with Mbaha that same night.

“I asked why he was beating up my friend and he said if I want to know I must also go with him to the [police] station. I told him that I am not a civilian and showed him my card, but they picked me up and threw me in the van too,” said the soldier.

The two friends said they slept in the police holding cells and were released about seven hours later.

No charges were laid against them.

Police crime investigations coordinator at Walvis Bay, deputy Commissioner Ottilie Kashuupulwa confirmed that the two were indeed detained.

The commissioner also confirmed that there was a ‘Lampard’ involved but could not give the full name of the officer.

She, however, denied that Lampard beat Mbaha, saying she did not get any admission from him on such accusations.

Kashuupulwa said the police were called to restore order at the club, as it was closing time and customers were not willing to vacate the building.

‘’What I gathered is that they were detained because the civilian refused police instructions and the soldier interfered with police work. However, they still have the right to lay assault charges if there were any,” said Kashuupulwa.

Kashuupulwa explained that the police have the right to arrest anyone who is involved in criminal and illegal activities, including soldiers.

Mbaha says he is seeking legal advice to see if he has a strong assault case against the police, before he lays charges. – Nampa