N$1m dagga bust suspects to apply for bail

N$1m dagga bust suspects to apply for bail Northern businessmen Paavo Hatutale (47) and his co-accused, Nicodemus Shekunyenge (21), will formally apply for bail on 17 May following their arrest on drug charges last month.

They made their second appearance before Magistrate Letta Simon in the Ohangwena Magistrate's Court on Friday.

The two men were arrested for allegedly being in possession of truckload of dagga worth more than N$1 million.

They are charged with possession and dealing in drugs.

During their first appearance, their lawyer, Maruschka January, told the court that Hatutale needed to be released because he had school-going children in South Africa.

Hatutale, who owns Hatutale Transport, was arrested at Onhuno in the Ohangwena Region last month, allegedly while driving a truck carrying one of the biggest consignments of cannabis ever confiscated in the country. He was arrested after the police were tipped off by a member of the public.

Shekunyenge was arrested the following day after it was established they had driven together.

Hatutale and Shekunyenge reportedly drove from South Africa through Botswana and entered Namibia using the Rundu-Nkurenkuru route.

Police reported that the truck had been contracted to transport poles for a building material shop in the north.

Forty-one bags of dagga were allegedly found hidden under the poles.

Magistrate Simon said the drugs weighed more than 1000 kilograms and had a street value of N$1 094 000.

Sakaria Mupuma and Elphins Maloboka are the prosecutors.

ILENI NANDJATO