Angula to plead to next year

Former acting secretary-general of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) Alfred Angula, who was arrested for fraud in October last year, will plead to the charges against him next year. The 48-year-old firebrand trade unionist, who is free on bail of N$50 000, made another appearance in the Katutura Magistrate's Court yesterday, where his fraud and theft case was remanded until February 4 next year for the purpose of plea. Angula will plead to the charges that have been levelled against him by the State, in terms of Section 119 of the Criminal Procedures Act. He was set to plead yesterday, but could not do so because his case docket was only brought before court earlier that same day. His case was postponed, as per agreement between Angula's defence lawyer Edwin Coetzee and prosecutor Arrie Husselmann. On October 23 last year, Angula was released on bail of N$50 000, which was granted by Magistrate Claudia Classen after he brought a formal bail application. Bail was granted with a single bail condition attached to it, in that Angula should not directly or indirectly interfere with police investigations. The trade unionist is facing a charge of fraud and theft involving about N$1.2 million, which was donated to the Namibia Farmworkers’ Union (NAFWU) by a European donor agency. Earlier media reports said Angula was arrested after the donor agency, Fes Belgium, laid charges of fraud and theft against him for the alleged missing money. The accused allegedly committed the offence between January 31, 2012 and December 31, 2012. Angula was the NAFWU general secretary until July 2011, when he took up the position of acting secretary-general of the NUNW federation. WINDHOEK NAMPA