Martin Endjala
Hours after the arrest of Namibia Economic Freedom Fighter (NEFF) activist Michael Amushelelo, Immigration officials arrested Germany national Petra Illing, one of the owners of the restaurant, Craft Bistro, for allegedly working with an expired visa and operating a business illegally.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration and Safety and Security, Margaret Kalo said they are investigating the Germany National.
Amushelelo was reportedly arrested after he joined workers at the restaurant, in protest for their salaries.
His lawyer, Kadhila Amoomo said during the arrest by police officers, his client’s arm was injured.
Amoomo told the Observer newspaper that Amushelelo has since undergone medical treatment and an assessment is underway to determine the extent of injury.
“He is in pain,” Amoomo said.
According to him, the legal team had to put up a fight for Amushelelo to be assessed by medical personnel.
Amoomo further revealed that Amushelelo was not formally charged yet, at the time he was contacted for comment. This he says, is because the docket has not yet been allocated to an investigator.
“It’s an unfortunate transformation of labor grievances into criminal proceedings. Our client simply showed solidarity with workers being exploited”, Amoomo said.
Prior to his arrest, Amusheleo said on his social media platforms that he was summoned to report himself to the police station which he did, as a case against him was opened.
This afternoon, Amushelelo was released, Amoomo confirmed.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi confirmed that a case of threatening and assault has been opened but could not confirm if any arrest was carried out.
She however, said that a detailed report is yet to come to her office to better understand the charges brought against Amushelelo.
Moreover, Amoomo also said that all employees at the Craft Bistro have been suspended following yesterdays protest, without their salaries.
This is contrary to media reports suggesting that the employees were suspended with full pay.
Employees complained about alleged exploitation by the owners, late salary payments and racism.
