Maria Amakali

WINDHOEK - The Katutura Magistrate’s Court ordered the provisional release from custody of an Angolan nabbed with cocaine at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) in February.

Kula Lourenco, 52, faces charges of drug possession after the police found foreign substances believed to be cocaine worth N$245,000 in his rectum on February 18. 

Lourenco is suspected to be a drug smuggler who was in the process of transporting the drugs through Johannesburg from Sao Paolo, Brazil to Hosea Kutako International Airport, Windhoek when he got caught.
Following an examination at Katutura hospital, Lourenco was found with 70 plastic-coated oval capsules (containing cocaine substances) in his digestive system. According to the police, the plastic-coated capsules contained cocaine that was stuffed into the rectum of the suspect for concealment.

During his appearance before Magistrate Johanness Shuuveni, Lourenco was informed that his case has been struck from the court roll. This follows after the State failed to bring the docket to court for two consecutive proceedings.
Prosecutor Idda Itembu informed the court she was not informed why the docket could not be brought to court for proceedings and said the State has no objection having Lourenco released on bail of N$10,000 with conditions attached.
Shuuveni refused to grant the order stating that it has become a trend where dockets are not brought to court and necessary investigations into cases are not completed. 

“The only reason the State is approving bail is because they hope to get a remand in the case since the docket is not at court today and it was not at court during previous proceedings,” said Shuuveni. The case would come back to court once investigations are completed.  
For the months of April, May and June the Katutura court provisionally struck 172 cases from the court roll while the prosecution provisionally withdrew 318 cases.