Eba Kandovazu
NATIONAL Assembly Speaker, Peter Katjavivi, has responded to allegations that a gun was planted in the bag of lawyer, Patrick Kauta, at Parliament building. Kauta represented Bernardus Swartbooi and Henny Seibeb at the Privileges Committee. Katjavivi denied the gun claims, saying that the gun image randomly appeared on the monitor.
Katjavivi further explains that a modern scanning machine, which has a function called Threat Imagine Projection (TIP) to project knives, guns, scissors, etc, is used at the National Assembly check point. According to Katjavivi, TIP images appear randomly from time to time, and it was a coincidence that the TIP image appeared when Kauta’s bag was scanned.
LPM previously alleged that a gun was planted in their lawyer’s bag when he entered the National Assembly building, to substantiate claims that LPM leaders Swaartbooi and Seibeb are a danger. The duo was however not with their lawyer at the time of the incident. Katjavivi responded in a letter to Swartbooi that the TIP software is used on the monitor to increase vigilance amongst the machine operators.
Katjavivi says the machine operator at the time apologised to Kauta and instructed him to proceed to the meeting venue. “After the investigation by the officer responsible for security, it was established that the police officer who was on duty and operating the new x-ray machine, was not familiar with this machine, nor was he part of the group that received training on how to operate the scanning machine. Thus, he was not familiar with TIP images, which prompted him to tell the visitor about the projected image in his bag. There was no gun detected in the bag of Kauta or any other person,” Katjavivi says.
LPM Deputy Leader and Chief Strategist, Henny Seibeb, says he is not aware of the Speaker’s letter. A press conference is scheduled for tomorrow at 11 am at the LPM head office.
