A Windhoek lawyer, Gilroy Kasper of Murorua, Kurts Kasper Incorporated, has threatened to drag the Ministry of Health and Social Services to the Windhoek High Court after the state mortuary in the capital allegedly lost the body of a new-born baby.

The baby was born to parents Petra Pienaar and Geralld Garieseb on December 25.

According to Pienaar, her baby died during birth at the Katutura State Hospital in December last year.

After she and the father of the baby boy were shown the body, the body was moved to the state mortuary at the Central Hospital.

When the two returned on January 11 to collect the body, the authorities at the mortuary allegedly could not find it.

In his letter to the Executive Director at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Kasper alleges that the silence from the ministry is deliberate, and he further accuses the ministry of concealing the death.

Kasper further states that the failure by the mortuary authorities to find the body is tantamount to criminality and is therefore a display of intent to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.

He has demanded an immediate investigation into the matter and given the ministry until Friday to give feedback; if the ministry fails to do so, a criminal case will be opened.

When contacted for comment, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, Minister of Health and Social Services, told nbc News that he would need to seek information from the hospital.