Cops intercept phone calls
A swift police investigation led to the arrest of several suspects linked to a Windhoek murder, the High Court heard.
The last cellphone communication between a wife accused of murder and another suspect emerged as a breakthrough for the police in a gruesome Goreangab killing.
The phone records show that Annastacia Lubinda, 33, wife of Peter Muleke, 36, who was killed near Penduka around the Goreangab Dam area between 29 and 30 March 2015, actively communicated with one of her co-accused David Matali.
Detective Sergeant Augustinus Iipinge this week testified in the High Court in Windhoek, that looking into the cellphone records of Matali led them to another accused in the matter, Dawid Kondjara.
Kondjara allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to Lubinda asking: “What's up?” Iipinge said the police then intercepted and responded as if Lubinda replied, and asked him where he was.
He then allegedly responded that he was at the Engen Service Station near Single Quarters whereupon 'she' purportedly replied that she is coming. At the service station the police called the number and when he answered the phone, they arrested him.
Iipinge told Judge Johanna Salionga that Kondjara, without them even interrogating him, immediately said: “I am not the one who killed the man. It was the other guys. I only took the cellphone which the wife wanted to throw away.”
He allegedly revealed the name of Dollam Tjitjahuma, 27, as one of the other suspects who was later arrested at a house near Single Quarters alongside Shanghai Street in Katutura.
Lubinda, who is alone charged with murder read in conjunction with Domestic Violence Act, last week denied guilt and put the burden of proof on the State.
Six people, Lubinda, Matali, Kondjara, Abiud Uazeua, 35, Donald Hindjou, 26, and Tjitjahuma pleaded not guilty on the charge that they conspired to murder the deceased, as well as robbery with aggravating circumstances, in that they after the murder robbed the deceased of his cell phone and a sim card.
They allegedly connived and killed Muleke by hitting him with stones and other unknown objects.
They denied all the charges.
Tjijahuma, who alone was charged with possession of dagga to the value of N$45 and defeating the course of justice by burning the dagga when the police arrived, denied these allegations too.
Last week Elias Eixab, a sergeant in the City Police who came upon Muleke and his abandoned vehicle after a tip-off by members of the public, testified that he picked up Muleke's car key.
“I found the body of the deceased lying face down in the ground as well as a blood-stained stone next to his head,” Eixab testified.
Salionga is presiding while the State prosecution is led by Martino Olivier.
The accused are represented by lawyers Milton Engelbrecht, Trevor Brockerhoff, Tuna Nhinda, Mbanga Siyomuinji, Miriam Kenaruzo and Brownwell Uirab.
FRED GOEIEMAN
The phone records show that Annastacia Lubinda, 33, wife of Peter Muleke, 36, who was killed near Penduka around the Goreangab Dam area between 29 and 30 March 2015, actively communicated with one of her co-accused David Matali.
Detective Sergeant Augustinus Iipinge this week testified in the High Court in Windhoek, that looking into the cellphone records of Matali led them to another accused in the matter, Dawid Kondjara.
Kondjara allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to Lubinda asking: “What's up?” Iipinge said the police then intercepted and responded as if Lubinda replied, and asked him where he was.
He then allegedly responded that he was at the Engen Service Station near Single Quarters whereupon 'she' purportedly replied that she is coming. At the service station the police called the number and when he answered the phone, they arrested him.
Iipinge told Judge Johanna Salionga that Kondjara, without them even interrogating him, immediately said: “I am not the one who killed the man. It was the other guys. I only took the cellphone which the wife wanted to throw away.”
He allegedly revealed the name of Dollam Tjitjahuma, 27, as one of the other suspects who was later arrested at a house near Single Quarters alongside Shanghai Street in Katutura.
Lubinda, who is alone charged with murder read in conjunction with Domestic Violence Act, last week denied guilt and put the burden of proof on the State.
Six people, Lubinda, Matali, Kondjara, Abiud Uazeua, 35, Donald Hindjou, 26, and Tjitjahuma pleaded not guilty on the charge that they conspired to murder the deceased, as well as robbery with aggravating circumstances, in that they after the murder robbed the deceased of his cell phone and a sim card.
They allegedly connived and killed Muleke by hitting him with stones and other unknown objects.
They denied all the charges.
Tjijahuma, who alone was charged with possession of dagga to the value of N$45 and defeating the course of justice by burning the dagga when the police arrived, denied these allegations too.
Last week Elias Eixab, a sergeant in the City Police who came upon Muleke and his abandoned vehicle after a tip-off by members of the public, testified that he picked up Muleke's car key.
“I found the body of the deceased lying face down in the ground as well as a blood-stained stone next to his head,” Eixab testified.
Salionga is presiding while the State prosecution is led by Martino Olivier.
The accused are represented by lawyers Milton Engelbrecht, Trevor Brockerhoff, Tuna Nhinda, Mbanga Siyomuinji, Miriam Kenaruzo and Brownwell Uirab.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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