Lecturer denied bail
A 44-year-old University of Namibia (Unam) lecturer, who allegedly shot and wounded two brothers, was denied bail in the Rundu Magistrate's Court on Friday.
Nelson Antonio, an employee of the Unam Rundu campus, formally applied for bail last week.
Bail was denied by Magistrate Hellen Olaiya and the matter was remanded to 15 January 2019.
Antonio is charged with two counts of attempted murder after he allegedly shot and wounded Moses and Gerson Batista, who are both 25 years old, on 3 December in Rundu's Kehemu location.
The two victims are related to Antonio's ex-girlfriend and were driving her car at the time.
Antonio is also charged with discharging a firearm in public and for malicious damage to property, as one of the victims was shot while seated in the vehicle. Prosecutor Emma Mayavero objected to bail on the grounds that the offences are serious and that it will not be in the interest of the administration of justice to release the suspect.
She argued further that granting Antonio bail would undermine public confidence in the justice system.
She also objected to bail on the grounds that the suspect will interfere directly or indirectly with police investigations, which are at an initial stage.
Antonio's lawyer Ricardo Mukonda argued his client should be granted bail because he acted in self-defence.
Antonio testified during cross-examination he was seated in his car when three men, including the two victims, pulled him out of his vehicle and threw him to the ground, before beating him up.
He said he fired warning shots into the air, but had to shoot at the victims as one of them was on his way to their vehicle to get a panga.
Antonio also testified he is the father of ten children, and at the time of the incident, five of them lived with him.
He told the court he should therefore be released on bail, so he can continue to take care of his children.
Olaiya said in her ruling the state had presented its case very well, compared to the defence.
She indicated that Antonio had emptied the entire magazine of his gun, which had a capacity of 15 rounds, and this did not indicate self-defence.
The magistrate was also not convinced that the suspect is taking care of five of his children, as she had presided over a maintenance matter involving Antonio last year.
Olaiya noted that Antonio is an educator at Unam and that he was busy with research, but reiterated that the state had presented its case well and had justified its grounds for objecting to bail.
KENYA KAMBOWE
Nelson Antonio, an employee of the Unam Rundu campus, formally applied for bail last week.
Bail was denied by Magistrate Hellen Olaiya and the matter was remanded to 15 January 2019.
Antonio is charged with two counts of attempted murder after he allegedly shot and wounded Moses and Gerson Batista, who are both 25 years old, on 3 December in Rundu's Kehemu location.
The two victims are related to Antonio's ex-girlfriend and were driving her car at the time.
Antonio is also charged with discharging a firearm in public and for malicious damage to property, as one of the victims was shot while seated in the vehicle. Prosecutor Emma Mayavero objected to bail on the grounds that the offences are serious and that it will not be in the interest of the administration of justice to release the suspect.
She argued further that granting Antonio bail would undermine public confidence in the justice system.
She also objected to bail on the grounds that the suspect will interfere directly or indirectly with police investigations, which are at an initial stage.
Antonio's lawyer Ricardo Mukonda argued his client should be granted bail because he acted in self-defence.
Antonio testified during cross-examination he was seated in his car when three men, including the two victims, pulled him out of his vehicle and threw him to the ground, before beating him up.
He said he fired warning shots into the air, but had to shoot at the victims as one of them was on his way to their vehicle to get a panga.
Antonio also testified he is the father of ten children, and at the time of the incident, five of them lived with him.
He told the court he should therefore be released on bail, so he can continue to take care of his children.
Olaiya said in her ruling the state had presented its case very well, compared to the defence.
She indicated that Antonio had emptied the entire magazine of his gun, which had a capacity of 15 rounds, and this did not indicate self-defence.
The magistrate was also not convinced that the suspect is taking care of five of his children, as she had presided over a maintenance matter involving Antonio last year.
Olaiya noted that Antonio is an educator at Unam and that he was busy with research, but reiterated that the state had presented its case well and had justified its grounds for objecting to bail.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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