PROMINENT BEE magnates, Desmond Amunyela and David Imbili and their two sidekicks’ alleged brutalisation of freelance journalist John Grobler as retribution for several corruption exposés has taken a new twist.

Four days after Grobler was severely bruised at a local upmarket pub in Windhoek, by the duo, including Kiliat Kamanya, and another unknown aide,  Amunyela and recycled BEE magnate Imbili lodged counter-charges ranging from assault, crimen injuria and hurling racial remarks against Grobler.
Acting Inspector General of the Police  Vilho Nghifindka confirmed in an interview that a police investigation has been instituted against the men but it was unclear whether any arrests have been made yet. He could also not confirm any investigation against Grobler.
Amunyela and Imbili lawyer, Sisa Namandje said he would not give his “evidence to  a journalist” when probed on the incident.
“My clients laid charges against John Grobler under CR number 380/01/10 following his attack on them. I am not privy to what the charges would be in court as it’s only the prosecutor who would decide, however, they have to do with assault, crimen injuria and making racial remarks against my clients,” Namandje said.
Namandje refused to comment on whether his clients sustained any bruises following the alleged attack. “I don’t give evidence to the media.”
Informanté is reliably informed that Amunyela, commonly known as “Dessie” who  co-owns the Windhoek Observer and Paragon Investments as well as Imbili laid the counter charges on Tuesday at the Windhoek Central Police Station.
However, questions have been raised about how Grobler could have managed to assault four men.
Dessie, a Swapo Youth League regional structure leader and Imbili, allegedly accused Grobler of being a racist before kicking and raking their nails across his eyes.
“I was then approached by David Imbili who first shook my hand but then started accusing me of being a racist and hating Swapo amongst others. When I pointed out that Pharoa’s was not a place for racists, he started accusing me of writing “a lot of shit about Swapo.” This I took to be a direct reference to an article I wrote in which I questioned the veracity of the recent national elections.
“At that point, this group had split into two, with Imbili and Kamanya approaching me from my left and Amunyela and the other individual approaching me from the right, effectively driving me into the corner.
“As I was looking up at Imbili from my sitting position, one of the two on my right tossed a drink into my face, and Kamanya approached me from the left and showed me the SWAPO logo on his golf shirt, telling me that “you see I am SWAPO.”
Grobler charged that Amunyela started accusing him of “writing a lot of shit” about him.
“As  I looked at him, Kamanya hit me with a glass he was holding at his back. The blow was aimed at my eyes, but I managed to turn my face away and it hit me just in front of my left ear and on my left temple, causing me to fall down between the table and benches.”
Grobler  said as his friend ran for help,  Imbili, Amunyela, Kamanya and another man whom I think is his brother came out and started attacking me.
He sustained a deep cut just in front of his left ear, lacerations to the left temple, deep scratches across the right-hand side of his face, heavy bruising to the right check as well as lacerations and swelling on the inside of my mouth.
Grobler’s clothes were torn and he suffered lacerations to his left elbow as well as bruised muscles in his neck from the kick he got in the face as he was lying face-down after the first blow from Kamanya.
The two business men refused to speak to Informanté with Amunyela referring the paper to Namandje while Imbili saying he had no comment.
“I have no comment,” Imbili said before hanging up. Grobler has hit back at Imbili and Amunyela questioning how he could have single handedly assaulted four businessmen.