Waiter found not guilty

A FORMER waiter on the luxury tourist train, the Desert Express, was found not guilty of raping a 15-year-old girl by the Regional Court at Otjiwarongo on Thursday and was released.

Trevor Pieterse (21) from Windhoek still stands accused of raping a Japanese tourist on board the luxury train in August last year. Pieterse was accused of raping the teenager in January at Grootfontein while out on bail for the first rape charge involving the Japanese tourist.Muriel van Zyl, the State Prosecutor at Otjiwarongo, told The Namibian there was not sufficient evidence to convict Pieterse.Magistrate Christie Liebenberg found him not guilty.No witnesses appeared in the case.Pieterse was also charged with theft and housebreaking on his first appearance in court at Grootfontein.He pleaded guilty to stealing shoes, a shirt and a key, valued at approximately N$800, after breaking into a house at the Buitekamp extension on January 8.Magistrate André le Roux sentenced him to 18 months for theft, which he is still serving.He will appear in the Swakopmund Regional Court on December 1 on the first rape charge.Pieterse was accused of raping the teenager in January at Grootfontein while out on bail for the first rape charge involving the Japanese tourist.Muriel van Zyl, the State Prosecutor at Otjiwarongo, told The Namibian there was not sufficient evidence to convict Pieterse.Magistrate Christie Liebenberg found him not guilty.No witnesses appeared in the case.Pieterse was also charged with theft and housebreaking on his first appearance in court at Grootfontein.He pleaded guilty to stealing shoes, a shirt and a key, valued at approximately N$800, after breaking into a house at the Buitekamp extension on January 8.Magistrate André le Roux sentenced him to 18 months for theft, which he is still serving.He will appear in the Swakopmund Regional Court on December 1 on the first rape charge.