24.03.05

Suspect runs amok in court

By: WERNER MENGES

THE Magistrate and staff of the Grootfontein Magistrate's Court had to run for their lives when a newly convicted and sentenced man pulled out a sharp weapon and stormed the Magistrate in court this week.

In the second serious breach of security at the court and Police

station building at Grootfontein within a week, Police officers had

to fire warning shots before a rampaging suspect, Harold

Am-Khaebeb, could be brought under control and be disarmed on

Tuesday.

Am-Khaebeb had just been convicted and sentenced to a fine of

N$300 or three months' imprisonment on a charge of malicious damage

to property - he was accused of burning a blanket belonging to the

State in a prison cell where he had been kept in custody on other

pending charges - when he started to run riot, shouting that he was

innocent and should not have been found guilty, sources at the

court report.

 

They claim that Am-Khaebeb threw a microphone in the direction

of the Magistrate and then left the dock, pulling out a sharp

instrument - which eyewitnesses described as looking like a

sharpened screwdriver - and storming at the Magistrate's bench.

 

As these events unfolded in a matter of seconds, one of the two

Prosecutors present fled the courtroom, followed in close

succession by the Police's unarmed court orderly, another

Prosecutor and the court interpreter.

 

Magistrate Andre Roux remained, facing an enraged

Am-Khaebeb alone on the Magistrate's bench.

 

As Am-Khaebeb rushed at the bench, the Magistrate managed to

fend him off with a chair while hurrying out of the courtroom.

 

Remaining behind, Am-Khaebeb next vented his rage on the court's

case register book and on his charge sheet, it is claimed.

 

Am-Khaebeb is alleged to have torn up both those items.

 

Only after two Police officers from the next-door Police station

had fired two warning shots was Am-Khaebeb restrained, handcuffed

and disarmed.

 

According to sources at the court, what appeared to be a

sharpened screwdriver, as well as a fork of which the handle had

also been sharpened, were found in his possession.

 

Am-Khaebeb next tried to attack Police officers, it is claimed,

but in the process he slipped and fell, hitting his head on the

floor.

 

He was taken, bleeding from his head, to a hospital for

treatment.

 

Approached for comment, Le Roux pronounced himself to be shocked

and "appalled" by the incident yesterday.

 

He said he had previously made several verbal requests to the

Grootfontein Police Station Commander to be provided with more and

better-equipped court orderlies, only to be ignored each time.

 

Charges of malicious damage to State property, attempted murder

and assault have now been laid against Am-Khaebeb, Warrant Officer

James Matengu of the Police's Public Relations and Liaison Division

in Windhoek reported yesterday.

 

Matengu confirmed the incident, but said that according to

information provided to him only a fork with a sharpened handle had

been found in Am-Khaebeb's possession.

 

All eyewitnesses who spoke to The Namibian disputed this,

though.

 

Matengu said he had been told that Am-Khaebeb had concealed a

fork with a sharpened handle among a bundle of papers that he took

with him to court.

 

"It was well-prepared in advance by this guy.

 

It seems he had an intention to do something," Matengu said.

 

When Am-Khaebeb was body-searched before being taken to court,

no weapons were found on him, but it appeared that the search did

not include the papers he was carrying, Matengu reported.

 

He further said that the court orderly had also laid an assault

charge, claiming that Am-Khaebeb had attacked him in court at the

start of the fracas, and that this attack was what had prompted him

to leave the courtroom to look for backup from colleagues

outside.

 

Once again, this version of events has been disputed by

eyewitnesses, who claimed that the orderly was one of the first

people to flee without having been attacked himself.

 

Am-Khaebeb had initially been kept in custody in the

Grootfontein Prison on a charge that he had helped other prisoners

to escape from custody by making keys that could be used in planned

escape attempts.

 

During his trial, Am-Khaebeb claimed that he had been framed -

by none other than German fraud suspect Hans Juergen Koch and the

Caprivi high treason suspects, who are also being kept in custody

in the same prison.

 

In the first security breach at the Grootfontein Police station

within a week, 13 trial-awaiting suspects escaped from the

station's holding cells last Wednesday night.

 

They apparently sawed through the wire mesh covering their

cell's roof.

 

Five of them were re-arrested at Rundu yesterday, Matengu

reported.

 

Am-Khaebeb had just been convicted and sentenced to a fine of N$300

or three months' imprisonment on a charge of malicious damage to

property - he was accused of burning a blanket belonging to the

State in a prison cell where he had been kept in custody on other

pending charges - when he started to run riot, shouting that he was

innocent and should not have been found guilty, sources at the

court report.They claim that Am-Khaebeb threw a microphone in the

direction of the Magistrate and then left the dock, pulling out a

sharp instrument - which eyewitnesses described as looking like a

sharpened screwdriver - and storming at the Magistrate's bench.As

these events unfolded in a matter of seconds, one of the two

Prosecutors present fled the courtroom, followed in close

succession by the Police's unarmed court orderly, another

Prosecutor and the court interpreter.Magistrate Andre

Roux remained, facing an enraged Am-Khaebeb alone on the

Magistrate's bench.As Am-Khaebeb rushed at the bench, the

Magistrate managed to fend him off with a chair while hurrying out

of the courtroom.Remaining behind, Am-Khaebeb next vented his rage

on the court's case register book and on his charge sheet, it is

claimed.Am-Khaebeb is alleged to have torn up both those items.Only

after two Police officers from the next-door Police station had

fired two warning shots was Am-Khaebeb restrained, handcuffed and

disarmed.According to sources at the court, what appeared to be a

sharpened screwdriver, as well as a fork of which the handle had

also been sharpened, were found in his possession.Am-Khaebeb next

tried to attack Police officers, it is claimed, but in the process

he slipped and fell, hitting his head on the floor.He was taken,

bleeding from his head, to a hospital for treatment.Approached for

comment, Le Roux pronounced himself to be shocked and "appalled" by

the incident yesterday.He said he had previously made several

verbal requests to the Grootfontein Police Station Commander to be

provided with more and better-equipped court orderlies, only to be

ignored each time.Charges of malicious damage to State property,

attempted murder and assault have now been laid against Am-Khaebeb,

Warrant Officer James Matengu of the Police's Public Relations and

Liaison Division in Windhoek reported yesterday.Matengu confirmed

the incident, but said that according to information provided to

him only a fork with a sharpened handle had been found in

Am-Khaebeb's possession.All eyewitnesses who spoke to The Namibian

disputed this, though.Matengu said he had been told that Am-Khaebeb

had concealed a fork with a sharpened handle among a bundle of

papers that he took with him to court."It was well-prepared in

advance by this guy.It seems he had an intention to do something,"

Matengu said.When Am-Khaebeb was body-searched before being taken

to court, no weapons were found on him, but it appeared that the

search did not include the papers he was carrying, Matengu

reported.He further said that the court orderly had also laid an

assault charge, claiming that Am-Khaebeb had attacked him in court

at the start of the fracas, and that this attack was what had

prompted him to leave the courtroom to look for backup from

colleagues outside.Once again, this version of events has been

disputed by eyewitnesses, who claimed that the orderly was one of

the first people to flee without having been attacked

himself.Am-Khaebeb had initially been kept in custody in the

Grootfontein Prison on a charge that he had helped other prisoners

to escape from custody by making keys that could be used in planned

escape attempts.During his trial, Am-Khaebeb claimed that he had

been framed - by none other than German fraud suspect Hans Juergen

Koch and the Caprivi high treason suspects, who are also being kept

in custody in the same prison.In the first security breach at the

Grootfontein Police station within a week, 13 trial-awaiting

suspects escaped from the station's holding cells last Wednesday

night.They apparently sawed through the wire mesh covering their

cell's roof.Five of them were re-arrested at Rundu yesterday,

Matengu reported.

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