Witnesses dispute police account in Melvin ||Areseb assault case
Four witnesses have challenged the version of events presented by three police officers accused of assaulting former Spitzkoppe tour guide Melvin ||Areseb, claiming he was beaten while already in handcuffs.
The witnesses’ statements form part of a civil case in which ||Areseb is suing the Namibian Police and three officers for N$2.8 million in damages over an alleged assault following his arrest.
In court papers filed with the High Court, officers Raphael Kaundu and Willem Jantze denied assaulting ||Areseb or seeing any of their colleagues assault him. They maintained that the arrest followed a domestic violence complaint and claimed ||Areseb became aggressive and attacked police officers.
Their co-accused, Jonas Flai, neither admitted nor denied the assault allegations in his court documents.
However, witness statements paint a different picture. One witness alleges that officers ordered ||Areseb to put on his trousers while he was handcuffed. When he said he could not do so, an officer wearing a brown police uniform allegedly accused him of being arrogant before repeatedly slapping him until he fell to the ground.
||Areseb also claims he was assaulted while being transported from Spitzkoppe to Usakos. According to his court papers, the police vehicle stopped along the way and officers allegedly continued beating him with a police baton.The officers have denied the allegation.
He alleges the assault left him with cuts and bruises to both knees, stomach injuries and a tear in his small intestine that required medical treatment.
High Court Judge Beatrix De Jager is expected to hear the matter on 28 July.
