The Hitman in police brutality saga

Written by Patience Nyangove

Thursday, 24 September 2009

WORLD Light Weight Champion, NamPol Inspector Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses allegedly severely assaulted a defenceless Katutura man with clenched fists and booted feet last week causing damage to the victim’s kidneys.



The Hitman allegedly assaulted Semy Mupupa of Greenwell Matongo in Eileen Street after a soldier was stabbed on the shoulder during a scuffle on Monday.

Mupupa has since opened a case of police brutality against Hitman, under case number CR478/09/09 with Wanaheda police station.

Chief Inspector Andreas Nelumbu confirmed that a case of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) was opened against some police officers, including Hitman.

A medical report from Katutura Hospital shows that Mupupa’s kidneys were damaged as a result of the kicks and his left side is now numb. He has cuts below his right eye, left shoulder and hips.

Mupupa alleges his nightmare began on September 12 when he escorted his friend Simon to Evelyn Street to look for his young brother at around 19h30.

He says they heard gun shots about 30 metres from where they were standing before people came running towards them.

He further alleges that when they enquired about what was going on, they were informed that a police officer and a Namibian Defence Force member allegedly wanted to rob one of the school boys of his jewellery at Special Inns bar and a fight broke out leading to the owner of the bar opening fire.

Simon, according to Mupupa, joined the mob in which his brother was part of and stabbed the NDF soldier on the shoulder.

The soldier then called for help and officers among them a NamPol officer known only as Hafeni came to his rescue.

Mupupa said Hafeni who was drunk took out his pistol but could not use it giving Simon and his brother time to run away.

“Since I knew I had not done anything wrong, I did not run away. Simon was later arrested around 04h00 on Sunday.

“On Monday between 8am and 9am seven armed uniformed NamPol officers came looking for me. The officers came out of their car pointing guns at us. We were playing cards at a shebeen in Eileen Street together with Benji Ulenga,” said Mupupa.

He said the officers were asking who Semy was while one of them grabbed Ulenga by the collar of his shirt.

“Scared, Benji pointed at me. When I asked which Semy they were looking for that’s when the Hitman started punching, slapping and kicking me while I was seated. After beating me up I was handcuffed and the Hitman kicked me on the chest and the left side of my neck and I fell down,” Mupupa said adding that he then fell down and other junior officers assaulted him.

He further alleged that he was bundled into The Hitman’s golf car (N6662W) and went about rounding up the school boys aged 13 – 16 involved in Saturday’s scuffle.

After rounding up the boys, another officer driving a blue golf (N13195W) pepper sprayed the suspects after asking whether these were the people who had beaten up the police and had said this was not their Government.

Mupupa said the officer instructed them to look at him with their faces uncovered and eyes open while he pepper sprayed them.

“Dizzy and in pain, they took us to Wanaheda Police Station. One of the boys who had a mobile phone called his mother, a police officer. The mother contacted Chief Inspector Nelumbu who was not aware of such an operation. We were released and the police officers who assaulted us apologised.”

When contacted for comment the Hitman accused this reporter of working in cahoots with Mupupa to fabricate the story.

“We don’t beat up people, we only arrest them. Maybe, it’s you and that person who are making this up. Why are you judging me? Are you the magistrate? You are very wrong. This is none of your business. You have no right to phone me, never phone me again. I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” the Hitman said.

The World Boxing Association (WBA) prohibits its members from fighting people who are not boxers.

- Informante7@tgi.na