South African’s human trafficking trial begins on Wednesday

WINDHOEK, 22 OCT  – The trial of Martinus Pretorius, a South African national facing 19 human trafficking and rape offences committed in Namibia in 2012, is finally set to begin in the High Court here on Wednesday.
The trial was scheduled to start before High Court Deputy Judge-President Hosea Angula on Monday, but could not proceed because the accused had not yet consulted his new State-funded lawyer, Advocate Zagrys Grobler in respect of the pleas he will enter before court.
The case was then postponed to allow Grobler to consult his client in connection with the pleas.
The lawyer was also directed by the court to file his client’s plea statement before the Registrar of the High Court before the end of business on Tuesday.
Prosecution representative, State Advocate Felistas Shikerete-Vendura did not raise objections to the postponement.
The documents containing the prosecution’s disclosure and a colour copy of the photo plan were already availed to Pretorius and his lawyer in order to properly prepare for their defence case.
The 48-year-old Pretorius, a former South African police officer, also faces other charges emanating from the coercive circumstances in which the alleged rape and human trafficking offences took place.
These include assault by threat, common assault and malicious damage to property.
He allegedly raped three minor girls aged between 13 and 14 in Swakopmund in the Erongo Region in 2012, before fleeing the country in September of the same year for his native South Africa.
Pretorius was arrested in South Africa in April 2016, after which the extradition process commenced and concluded in December 2017, when he was brought back to Namibia to face the charges.
He was employed at Rössing Uranium Mine near Arandis when the alleged crimes took place.
His co-accused, Namibian Johanna Lukas, who was accused of providing the minor girls to Pretorius on four occasions between April and May 2012, was sentenced to 13 years direct imprisonment on counts of human trafficking and rape.
The judgement and sentence was handed down by High Court Judge-President Petrus Damaseb in August 2015.
Pretorius is alleged to have paid Lukas N$10 000.
He remains in police custody at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility with no option to post bail until the start of the trial on Wednesday.
(NAMPA)