Lawyer likely to face contempt of court
High Court judge Christie Liebenberg expressed his agitation with a state-sponsored lawyer for delaying the commencement of the trial of a Gobabis woman who allegedly connived with her lover to murder her husband.
Liebenberg, after the lawyer, Hipura Ujaha, at whose request the trial was postponed from last Thursday to Friday, did not pitch up for the matter, said he is delaying the court proceedings.
“It is unacceptable that he missed the court order and he will face the consequences for not adhering to such order,” a seemingly disenchanted Liebenberg said.
Initially the trial was scheduled to start on Thursday morning but could not proceed because Ujaha apparently did not fully recover from severe hypertension.
The court rejected his request to have the matter postponed to 19 July and gave an order that the trial should begin on Friday at 10:00.
State Advocate Martino Olivier had objected, saying the prosecution team and state witnesses are frustrated over the unnecessary postponements.
The accused Rachel Rittmann, 46, together with her alleged lover, Ryno Ricardo du Preez, 34, are charged with murder in the death of her husband Rudolf Rittmann.
The burnt remains of Rudolf were found in his car on the Windhoek-Gobabis road on 23 August 2013.
The two now each face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, defeating or obstructing the course of justice, violating a dead body by setting it alight, as well as a count of malicious damage to property.
Rittman is being held at the Klein Windhoek police station, while Du Preez is being held at the Windhoek Correctional Facility's holding cells.
State advocates Olivier and Ethel Ndlovu are prosecuting.
The case was postponed to 28 August for trial.
FRED GOEIEMAN
Liebenberg, after the lawyer, Hipura Ujaha, at whose request the trial was postponed from last Thursday to Friday, did not pitch up for the matter, said he is delaying the court proceedings.
“It is unacceptable that he missed the court order and he will face the consequences for not adhering to such order,” a seemingly disenchanted Liebenberg said.
Initially the trial was scheduled to start on Thursday morning but could not proceed because Ujaha apparently did not fully recover from severe hypertension.
The court rejected his request to have the matter postponed to 19 July and gave an order that the trial should begin on Friday at 10:00.
State Advocate Martino Olivier had objected, saying the prosecution team and state witnesses are frustrated over the unnecessary postponements.
The accused Rachel Rittmann, 46, together with her alleged lover, Ryno Ricardo du Preez, 34, are charged with murder in the death of her husband Rudolf Rittmann.
The burnt remains of Rudolf were found in his car on the Windhoek-Gobabis road on 23 August 2013.
The two now each face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, defeating or obstructing the course of justice, violating a dead body by setting it alight, as well as a count of malicious damage to property.
Rittman is being held at the Klein Windhoek police station, while Du Preez is being held at the Windhoek Correctional Facility's holding cells.
State advocates Olivier and Ethel Ndlovu are prosecuting.
The case was postponed to 28 August for trial.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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