No bail for bogus traditional healers
Two Ugandans arrested at a rented house in Khomasdal last week on suspicion they are fake traditional healers, were refused bail on Monday.
Geofrey Mugwari and Jackie Ssematimba (ages unknown) were each refused bail when they made their first appearance before Windhoek Magistrate Celma Amadhila.
Public prosecutor Ntelamo Laura Mabuku strongly objected to the granting of bail to the two on the grounds that they do not have any standing in Namibia and have no valid documents to be in the country.
The State said it feared that they would abscond from Namibia to other countries if granted bail in efforts to evade prosecution.
The duo have now both applied for State-funded defence lawyers.
They were arrested by the police on 6 September 2017 and are charged under the Immigration Control Act of 1993 for being illegally in Namibia and working in the country without work permits.
They are also charged with contravening the Health Act by administering medicine and injecting people without authorisation.
They appeared without legal representation, and their case was remanded to 9 October 2017 for them to obtain responses from Legal Aid in respect of their applications for government-sponsored defence lawyers.
Earlier reports by the New Era newspaper had it that the two advertised their services ranging from solving “manhood problems”, winning court cases and lotteries; to facilitating abortions.
However, after questioning by the police, they said they were not real traditional healers.
The police confiscated several items used during the fake healing ceremonies such as animal horns and skins, a dead bird, a dead snake, eggs placed in a bottle, syringes, tablets and candles.
NAMPA
Geofrey Mugwari and Jackie Ssematimba (ages unknown) were each refused bail when they made their first appearance before Windhoek Magistrate Celma Amadhila.
Public prosecutor Ntelamo Laura Mabuku strongly objected to the granting of bail to the two on the grounds that they do not have any standing in Namibia and have no valid documents to be in the country.
The State said it feared that they would abscond from Namibia to other countries if granted bail in efforts to evade prosecution.
The duo have now both applied for State-funded defence lawyers.
They were arrested by the police on 6 September 2017 and are charged under the Immigration Control Act of 1993 for being illegally in Namibia and working in the country without work permits.
They are also charged with contravening the Health Act by administering medicine and injecting people without authorisation.
They appeared without legal representation, and their case was remanded to 9 October 2017 for them to obtain responses from Legal Aid in respect of their applications for government-sponsored defence lawyers.
Earlier reports by the New Era newspaper had it that the two advertised their services ranging from solving “manhood problems”, winning court cases and lotteries; to facilitating abortions.
However, after questioning by the police, they said they were not real traditional healers.
The police confiscated several items used during the fake healing ceremonies such as animal horns and skins, a dead bird, a dead snake, eggs placed in a bottle, syringes, tablets and candles.
NAMPA
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