Cell murder plot thickens as ‘Kofi Annan’ joins as third suspect

A SOUR love affair between four men, and not three as was earlier suspected, is claimed to have resulted in the death of Eddie /Gomxob (33) in Windhoek Central Prison last week.

/Gomxob was stabbed to death with sharpened metal brackets.On Friday, three fellow inmates, Rukero Herman (23), Benedictus Afrikaner (26) and Malaechi ‘Kofi Annan’ Seibeb (45) made a brief appearance on a charge of murder.Crime-scene photos depict /Gomxob’s lifeless body in a pool of blood. He is suspected to have succumbed to multiple stab wounds to his face, neck and chest.It is alleged that /Gomxob and Herman were initially in a relationship, after which the younger man dumped him for Afrikaner and later for Seibeb. /Gomxob allegedly did not want to accept that things between him and Herman were over and kept on harassing him. It is further claimed that Herman and Afrikaner planned to kill /Gomxob.On Wednesday afternoon, /Gomxob was allegedly lured to the prison toilets by Herman – under the pretence of wanting to have sex with him in Cell 4.Soon after Herman and /Gomxob were in the toilet, Afrikaner allegedly joined them and the two inmates attacked /Gomxob.Seibeb allegedly heard /Gomxob screaming for help and also rushed to the toilet. Although he claimed to have been trying to stop the attack, eyewitnesses implicated him and he was also charged with the murder.On Friday, all three accused indicated that they would like to apply for legal aid.Dressed in their olive-green prison uniforms, the three had smiles on their faces almost throughout the proceedings.Their case was postponed to June 11 for their legal aid application to be processed.The men were in the meantime removed from Cell 4 to prevent them from interfering with State witnesses.Confirming the allegations of a multi-partner relationship between the four men, Chief Inspector Barry de Klerk yesterday said: ‘It’s a very different world in there [prison].’The four men were serving sentences ranging from rape to escaping from lawful custody, attempted murder, housebreaking and theft, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and malicious damage to property.Meanwhile, it has emerged that /Gomxob’s family plans to sue prison authorities over his death. A family friend yesterday said: ‘All these nasty things happen in there, but the wardens don’t seem to care.’On Thursday, Deputy Commissioner Tuhafeni Hangula of the Namibian Prison Service said it was premature to say whether prison officials would be held responsible for the incident.’Should there turn out to have been negligence on our part, disciplinary steps will be taken,’ he said.