Case of suspected killers of Russian couple postponed

TWO young men who are accused of murdering a Russian farming couple near Okahandja in early May made their second joint appearance in the Okahandja Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

With their second appearance before Magistrate Jabulani Ncube, the case against Ruben Tjombe (19) and Fritz Gaoseb (20) was postponed again to give the Directorate of Legal Aid more time to take a decision on applications from Tjombe and Gaoseb to be provided with State-funded legal aid. Tjombe and Gaoseb, who are facing two counts of murder each, together with a count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, have to appear in court again on August 14.Magistrate Ncube ordered that they should remain in Police custody.They are accused of murdered a Russian couple, Svetlana Lobanova (44) and Andrei Pastouchkov (50), at a smallholding some 10 kilometres north of Okahandja around May 9.Lobanova and Pastouchkov were found dead at the plot, where they were farming with poultry, on May 13.It is suspected that they had been hacked to death with a panga, allegedly after a dispute over money.It is alleged that Tjombe and Gaoseb had been employed by the murdered couple.They were not present at the smallholding when Lobanova and Pastouchkov were found killed.Tjombe was arrested at Okahandja’s Nau-Aib area on May 14, while Gaoseb was arrested at Otjimbingwe the next day.They have not yet pleaded to the charges against them.Tjombe and Gaoseb, who are facing two counts of murder each, together with a count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, have to appear in court again on August 14.Magistrate Ncube ordered that they should remain in Police custody.They are accused of murdered a Russian couple, Svetlana Lobanova (44) and Andrei Pastouchkov (50), at a smallholding some 10 kilometres north of Okahandja around May 9.Lobanova and Pastouchkov were found dead at the plot, where they were farming with poultry, on May 13.It is suspected that they had been hacked to death with a panga, allegedly after a dispute over money.It is alleged that Tjombe and Gaoseb had been employed by the murdered couple.They were not present at the smallholding when Lobanova and Pastouchkov were found killed.Tjombe was arrested at Okahandja’s Nau-Aib area on May 14, while Gaoseb was arrested at Otjimbingwe the next day.They have not yet pleaded to the charges against them.