Treason retrial delayed until July
The retrial of seven men facing charges of high treason for the failed attempt to secede the Caprivi (now Zambezi) Region from the rest of Namibia was Monday delayed to 4 July.
The retrial was supposed to kick off on Monday before Acting High Court Judge Petrus Unengu, but could once again not proceed because prosecution representative, State Advocate Neville Wamambo was not present before court due to other official commitments.
State Advocate Constance Moyo was standing in for Wamambo during Monday's postponement.
The seven suspects are Progress Kenyoka Munuma; Manuel Manepelo Makendano; Shine Samulandela Samulandela; Alex Sinjabata Mushakwa; Diamond Samunzala Salufu; Hoster Simasiku Ntombo; and John Mazila Ntambwe.
They are implicated in a failed secession attempt on 2 August 1999.
The seven suffered a legal blow on 22 August 2016 when the Supreme Court dismissed their application in which they were appealing the dismissal of their joint application, challenging the Windhoek High Court's jurisdiction to try them on high treason charges.
Their appeal application was dismissed by Deputy Chief Justice Petrus Damaseb, with Chief Justice Peter Shivute, Judges of Appeal Fred Chomba and David Smuts, as well as Acting Judge of Appeals Yvonne Mokgoro concurring with the ruling.
However, an appeal application by appellant, Boster Mubuyaeta Samuele, was successful and he was set free that day.
The men remain in police custody at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility until their next court appearance.
NAMPA
The retrial was supposed to kick off on Monday before Acting High Court Judge Petrus Unengu, but could once again not proceed because prosecution representative, State Advocate Neville Wamambo was not present before court due to other official commitments.
State Advocate Constance Moyo was standing in for Wamambo during Monday's postponement.
The seven suspects are Progress Kenyoka Munuma; Manuel Manepelo Makendano; Shine Samulandela Samulandela; Alex Sinjabata Mushakwa; Diamond Samunzala Salufu; Hoster Simasiku Ntombo; and John Mazila Ntambwe.
They are implicated in a failed secession attempt on 2 August 1999.
The seven suffered a legal blow on 22 August 2016 when the Supreme Court dismissed their application in which they were appealing the dismissal of their joint application, challenging the Windhoek High Court's jurisdiction to try them on high treason charges.
Their appeal application was dismissed by Deputy Chief Justice Petrus Damaseb, with Chief Justice Peter Shivute, Judges of Appeal Fred Chomba and David Smuts, as well as Acting Judge of Appeals Yvonne Mokgoro concurring with the ruling.
However, an appeal application by appellant, Boster Mubuyaeta Samuele, was successful and he was set free that day.
The men remain in police custody at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility until their next court appearance.
NAMPA
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