Suspect says shooting of guard an ‘accident’

By: WERNER MENGES

THE fatal shooting of a young security guard in his former employer’s office in Windhoek last month was an accident, it was claimed in a bail application in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

“The deceased took my weapon from the table. I went to him and we wrestled over the firearm and a shot went off,” Andreas Haingura Karupa told Magistrate Vanessa Stanley during an application by Karupa to be released on bail while a murder charge remains pending against him.
Karupa (49) is charged in connection with the deadly shooting of a former employee of his security company, Alpheus Kafirovi (19), on July 13.
Kafirovi died at the offices of Superior Security Services CC, which is owned by Karupa, in Windhoek’s Uhland Street after he had been shot in the chest.
Karupa told the magistrate he received a phone call from Kafirovi, who was asking him about money that Kafirovi claimed was owed to him, on the day before the incident. On that day Kafirovi also visited the company’s offices and tried to remove a computer, he claimed.
On July 13, he met an angry and aggressive Kafirovi at his office, Karupa said. He, Kafirovi and an employee of the company went to his office, and there the other employee explained to him that Kafirovi had worked at the company in 2008, and what the situation was regarding outstanding wages that were still due to him, he said.
It was claimed that Kafirovi had been accused of the theft of copper wire at a client of the company where he was working as a guard, Karupa said.
Karupa said his loaded pistol was lying on his desk, next to his laptop computer. Kafirovi spotted the gun there when he approached the computer and moved it, Karupa told the court.
Karupa said Kafirovi got hold of the gun and he tried to wrestle it away from him, and that a shot then went off.
Another employee of the company then helped Kafirovi out of his office. Kafirovi collapsed outside and died, Karupa said.
When he realised that Kafirovi had died, he drove to the Windhoek Police Station and reported the incident.
“This man who died at my office, it was an accident. No-one planned it,” Karupa insisted.
The bail hearing is set to continue today.
Karupa is being represented by James Diedericks of the firm Conradie & Damaseb. Public Prosecutor Phineas Nsundano is representing the State.

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