Eba Kandovazu
NEARLY eight months after his arrest on rape charges, former Okahandja Constituency Councilor and National Council member, Steve Biko Booys, has yet again been remanded in custody, following the postponement of his bail appeal hearing.
Booys today appeared in the Windhoek High Court before Judge Naomi Shivute. A hearing in which he is challenging the decision of an Okahandja Magistrate denying him bail will be heard on 22 October. This is after Booys sought a new lawyer after his previous lawyer, Vernon Lutibezi, withdrew from the matter.
The postponement was made for his new lawyer, Tommy Andima, to file his heads of argument. Basson Lilungwe who represents the State indicated that he had already filed the heads of argument. Booys is accused of raping a young woman. During the bail application, the Investigating Officer, said that records and print-outs from MTC show that Booys contacted the victim, contrary to his version that he did not. The witness had indicated to the court that on 18 January, 2021, text messages from Booys’ phone were sent to the victim and they read “You open a case of rape against me,” “Please let’s sort this out, if something happened we can solve this.”
According to the police officer, another message was sent to the victim on 20 January, 2021, reading, “You are going to destroy my career and my life with this one”.
Another message sent on 22 January, 2021, allegedly states “Please don’t proceed with this case.”
Court records also suggest that Booys had sent pornographic material to the victim with the instructions “Watch it alone” and “You must delete all our chats”. Booys is currently detained at the Seeis police station outside Windhoek.
