Musician arrested for impersonating a police officer
Two suspects appeared on charges of fraud, extortion, theft under false pretences while one of the two was also charged with impersonating a police officer at the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on Friday.
Magistrate Rhivermo Williams postponed the case against musician Frederick Shitana (32) and Martin Ismael (31) to 3 August in order for them to obtain legal representation and for further investigations.
Prosecutor Tuihaleni Hilikuete opposed bail due to the ongoing investigation and a strong possibility that the accused could interfere with the probe.
According to Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, Shitana allegedly employed Martin as a private detective.
They allegedly visited numerous establishments in Kuisebmond and issued fines, demanded cash and forced owners to enter into agreements with them in return for making use of music apparently produced by one of them.
The owner of one of the establishments complained to the police who investigated the issue.
“It is alleged that between Saturday and Tuesday last week Martin unlawfully and intentionally misrepresented himself as a police officer and with Shitana fraudulently extorted N$10 552.00 from businessmen at three bars and three printing shops in Kuisebmond for alleged copyright infringement of Shitana's music.
We confiscated an identification card stating Ismael was a detective from the Copyright protection unit based in Windhoek as well as a copy of a Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM) document with a Namibian badge printed on it with rules about the violation of copyright works from one of the accused,” said Iikuyu.
OTIS FINCK
Magistrate Rhivermo Williams postponed the case against musician Frederick Shitana (32) and Martin Ismael (31) to 3 August in order for them to obtain legal representation and for further investigations.
Prosecutor Tuihaleni Hilikuete opposed bail due to the ongoing investigation and a strong possibility that the accused could interfere with the probe.
According to Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, Shitana allegedly employed Martin as a private detective.
They allegedly visited numerous establishments in Kuisebmond and issued fines, demanded cash and forced owners to enter into agreements with them in return for making use of music apparently produced by one of them.
The owner of one of the establishments complained to the police who investigated the issue.
“It is alleged that between Saturday and Tuesday last week Martin unlawfully and intentionally misrepresented himself as a police officer and with Shitana fraudulently extorted N$10 552.00 from businessmen at three bars and three printing shops in Kuisebmond for alleged copyright infringement of Shitana's music.
We confiscated an identification card stating Ismael was a detective from the Copyright protection unit based in Windhoek as well as a copy of a Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM) document with a Namibian badge printed on it with rules about the violation of copyright works from one of the accused,” said Iikuyu.
OTIS FINCK
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