GROOT Aub resident Gregory Kangandjera, who in April last year denied killing his girlfriend at that settlement some four years ago, wants to be released on bail.
Groot Aub is a settlement located some 50 kilometres south of Windhoek.
The 36-year-old Kangandjera brought a formal bail application before Windhoek High Court Judge Nate Ndauendapo yesterday in which he pleaded with the court to release him on bail, because he had now spent over four years in police custody awaiting the finalisation of his case with no option to post bail.
“I will not abscond from Namibia to other neighbouring countries once the court grants me bail. I will stay in Namibia until the finalisation of the trial of my case. I will also not interfere with the State witnesses in any manner, and I will be residing in Windhoek with some of my relatives. I will fully comply with all the bail conditions attached to it if the court grants me bail,” he told the court.
However, prosecution representative, State Advocate Palmer Khumalo, opposed the granting of bail on the grounds that the alleged killer will abscond from Namibia to other neighbouring countries in order to evade prosecution due to the seriousness and gravity of the charges he is facing.
The hearing of the bail application will continue on Wednesday this week when Kangandjera will call a witness to testify on his behalf.
On 22 April 2014, Kangandjera denied any involvement in the alleged murder incident when he entered a plea of ‘not guilty’ to the charges against him.
He also denied committing assault, defeating/obstructing or attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice at the start of his trial.
The accused entered such a plea in the presence of his government-funded defence lawyer Joshua Kaumbi, who is again representing him in his bail bid.
According to a summary of substantial facts contained in the charge sheet, Kangandjera apparently unlawfully and intentionally killed Loretta Kruger on 18 November 2010 by strangling her to death with his bare hands a few days after he accused her of cheating on him with a man he saw in her company at a Groot Aub shebeen.
Kangandjera and the victim were apparently involved in a romantic relationship at the time of the alleged murder incident.
It was reported that on 13 November 2010, Kangandjera allegedly found Kruger at “Mafia Bar” in the company of a certain Ipuleni Natangwe.
He reportedly assaulted Natangwe on that night and later left the premises of that shebeen with Kruger.
During the period 13 to 18 November 2010, Kangandjera allegedly assaulted the deceased person by kicking her and hitting her with unknown objects.
The accused also allegedly refused to allow the deceased to obtain medical assistance for the injuries she sustained as a result of the alleged beatings, before strangling her on 18 November 2010.
He then allegedly staged a suicide scene, and reported to the Police at the settlement that the deceased had committed suicide by hanging herself with a rope.
Police suspect that he did all this with the intention of defeating or obstructing the course of justice while he was fully aware that the deceased died as a result of strangulation. – Nampa
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