Witness Protection Bill tabled
The Witness Protection Bill, which would allow witnesses to voluntarily change their identity and even to undergo plastic surgery, was tabled in parliament last week.
The bill provides for the establishment of a witness protection advisory committee and a witness protection fund.
This ambitious bill is aimed at encouraging witnesses to come forward to give evidence in cases such as corruption, drug trafficking, poaching, money-laundering, human trafficking, terrorism, environmental degradation and domestic violence.
Justice minister Albert Kawana on Thursday pointed out that if information was leaked it usually exposed protected witnesses to extreme danger.
“Indeed, there has been instances where some witnesses have been killed or injured, especially in cases involving terrorism, drug trafficking and high treason. This is very common in countries where convictions of those offences carry a mandatory death penalty,” he cautioned.
The bill makes provision for a Witness Protection Fund which would ensure the appropriation of money by parliament.
“It is absolutely important, if we are to learn from the experience of other countries, that a fund is created. According to the experience of other countries, payments have to be made even at night to enable witnesses to be moved from one place to another for their own safety.
“For security reasons, they have to be moved by other means other than by transport which is used by the members of the public. In addition, food has to be bought for them as they cannot eat in public places,” Kawana told lawmakers.
The fund would be under the supervision and control of the justice ministry and would be audited by the staff of the auditor-general.
The minister added that there would be a need to relocate witnesses to other countries because of the size of Namibia where almost everyone knows each other.
Agreements would have to be entered into with international organisations in relation to witnesses required to give evidence before such international institutions.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The bill provides for the establishment of a witness protection advisory committee and a witness protection fund.
This ambitious bill is aimed at encouraging witnesses to come forward to give evidence in cases such as corruption, drug trafficking, poaching, money-laundering, human trafficking, terrorism, environmental degradation and domestic violence.
Justice minister Albert Kawana on Thursday pointed out that if information was leaked it usually exposed protected witnesses to extreme danger.
“Indeed, there has been instances where some witnesses have been killed or injured, especially in cases involving terrorism, drug trafficking and high treason. This is very common in countries where convictions of those offences carry a mandatory death penalty,” he cautioned.
The bill makes provision for a Witness Protection Fund which would ensure the appropriation of money by parliament.
“It is absolutely important, if we are to learn from the experience of other countries, that a fund is created. According to the experience of other countries, payments have to be made even at night to enable witnesses to be moved from one place to another for their own safety.
“For security reasons, they have to be moved by other means other than by transport which is used by the members of the public. In addition, food has to be bought for them as they cannot eat in public places,” Kawana told lawmakers.
The fund would be under the supervision and control of the justice ministry and would be audited by the staff of the auditor-general.
The minister added that there would be a need to relocate witnesses to other countries because of the size of Namibia where almost everyone knows each other.
Agreements would have to be entered into with international organisations in relation to witnesses required to give evidence before such international institutions.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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