53 fail in bail plea

A bid for bail by 53 Caprivi secessionist suspects was turned down in the High Court at Grootfontein on Tuesday, the ‘Namibian’ reported. Turning down the application, Judge Elton Hoff cited public interest, the interest of the administration of justice, and the fact that none of the 53 had testified to assure the court that they would attend the trial if they were released on bail, the report said.

According to the report, on Tuesday another three people were added to the group of 125 whose high treason trials were set down for next February. The 53 suspects had asked to be released on bail - most have been in custody awaiting the start of their trial for over two years - when they appeared in the High Court at Grootfontein on 22 August.

However, the ruling on Tuesday and the charging of the three new suspects, increased the total number of suspects in custody until the trial to 128. The three, alleged to have taken part in attacks by armed alleged separatists at Katima Mulilo on 2 August 1999, were reported to have been arrested late last week. According to the report, the three new suspects indicated in court on Tuesday that they would plead not guilty when their trial begins.