Case closed in shebeen shooting murder trial

THE prosecution in the triple murder trial of former Katutura State Hospital nurse Jeckonia Hamukoto wrapped up its case against Hamukoto yesterday.

Less than a week after Hamukoto’s trial started before Judge Nate Ndauendapo, Deputy Prosecutor General Heidi Jacobs informed the judge yesterday that the State was closing its case against Hamukoto.Jacobs closed the prosecution’s case after a State pathologist, Dr Yuri Vasin, had testified about the reports on the autopsies that were done on the three people who were killed in a shooting at Konjeni Bottle Store, a bar in the Katutura Single Quarters area, on February 2 2007.Erastus Jonas (23) and Festus Auhwe Eita (35) died on the same day as a result of the shooting. The third victim, Erastus Boni Shuudeni (31), died in hospital two days later.Three other people were wounded in the shooting.Hamukoto pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder, three counts of attempted murder and additional charges of pointing of a firearm and discharge of a firearm in a public place at the start of his trial on Thursday last week.On the three attempted murder charges, though, he offered to plead guilty to alternative charges of negligent discharge or handling of a firearm.His defence lawyer, Mese Tjituri, also told the court that Hamukoto’s defence on the murder charges is that he was acting in self defence.Dr Vasin testified yesterday that the autopsy reports show that both Jonas and Eita were shot in the chest and had exit wounds on the left side on their backs.Shuudeni was shot on the right-hand side of his back. He had an exit wound on the left side of his abdomen. Dr Vasin said according to the autopsy report it was found that Shuudeni was also suffering from an abdominal infection, which was caused by the gunshot injury.The last witness to testify before the doctor, Detective Sergeant Linekela Hilundwa of the Namibian Police’s Serious Crime Unit, testified on Tuesday that Hamukoto told him after his arrest that the shooting was sparked by the disappearance of his cellphone at the bar.Hamukoto told him he was sitting outside the bar when he went into the bar to buy some beer. He left his phone where he was sitting, but when he returned outside the phone was gone, Hilundwa said. Hamukoto said he was very angry and could not believe that people that he knew had stolen the phone from him, Hilundwa said.One of the survivors of the shooting, Joel Hango, testified on Monday that he was inside the bar when he was shot in the back. Hango said his attention had been on a gambling machine when he was shot. He fell to the ground, and then heard more shots being fired, he said.’I looked around. Later I saw him coming towards me holding a gun, and I closed my eyes,’ Hango said. Hamukoto then went back outside, and he heard more shots ringing out, Hango related.He said he gathered all of his strength to get up off the ground and managed to run outside, where he collapsed.Hamukoto did not speak to anyone before the shooting began, Hango claimed.Another witness, Gerson Mwatile, told the court that Hamukoto started looking for his cellphone inside the bar. When he could not find it, he told the people in the bar to undress themselves so that he could see if any of them had his phone, Mwatile said.At that stage Hamukoto already had a pistol in his hand, Mwatile said. He added that Hamukoto first fired one shot through the roof of the bar and then went outside.Then Hamukoto went back inside and starting shooting, Mwatile said.Hamukoto is expected to testify in his own defence when the trial continues on Monday next week. He has remained in custody since his arrest on the day of the shooting.

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