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Kleine Kuppe triple murder to High Court

Kleine Kuppe triple murder to High Court

THE Prosecutor General has withdrawn all charges against four of the five suspects accused of murdering three Windhoek residents in the city’s Kleine Kuppe suburb in early 2004.

Businessman Mario de Sousa (46), his wife, Magda de Sousa (43), and a friend of the couple, Tiaan Du Plessis (‘Koos’) Stoop (40), were all shot dead at the De Sousa couple’s home in Natco Street at around midnight on February 27 2004. A 20-year-old woman who was also at the house, Anja Britz, survived the incident.Windhoek residents Paulus Willibard, Theophilus Naftalie, Pedro Sampai Matondo and Johannes Hango have been facing three counts of murder and a charge of theft since being arrested in early March 2004.On Tuesday, all of them except for Angolan national Matondo, who has been at large since escaping from custody in 2004, were informed in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court that the Prosecutor General has declined to prosecute them.The PG has however decided that the fifth accused, Joseph Hanghome (33), should be arraigned in the High Court on five charges, Hanghome was told during an appearance before Magistrate Sarel Jacobs.Britz is set to be one of 23 possible State witnesses at Hanghome’s trial in the High Court, according to the indictment he is set to face.The four suspects against whom the charges were withdrawn were the first to be arrested in connection with the triple murder.They made a first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on March 5 2004.On March 6, it is stated in the indictment against Hanghome, another suspect, Hosea Johannes, was killed in a shootout with the Police at his home in Windhoek.The two firearms used in the killings on February 27 2004 – a 7,65 mm pistol and a .38 revolver of which the serial number had been removed – were found in Johannes’s possession, it is also stated.Hanghome was finally arrested at Keetmanshoop on March 18 2004.After his arrest a Police spokesman was quoted as saying that Hanghome had been resident in Windhoek at the time of the murders and had allegedly fled to Keetmanshoop after the incident.In the indictment Hanghome is set to face at his trial, it is alleged that he and Johannes had carried out the killings and an armed robbery that followed.The De Sousa couple, Stoop and Britz were sitting under a lapa in the couple’s garden when alleged armed robbers made a sudden appearance in the yard.They are thought to have gained entrance by removing two panels of a precast boundary wall, it is claimed.They shot all three victims in the head, before they forced Britz into the house, from where they stole Mrs De Sousa’s handbag and two cellphones.Hanghome is set to face three counts of murder, a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances and a count of illegal possession of a 7,65 mm pistol and .38 revolver at his trial, according to the indictment.It is alleged that all these crimes were committed by him and Johannes jointly, with them having acted with a common purpose before, during and after the incident.Naftalie and Hango have been free on bail of N$1 000 each since December 2 2004.Willibard and Hanghome were granted bail of N$10 000 each on November 27 last year.According to the record of their case in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, they were not able to pay this amount and the bail was reduced to N$7 000 on June 5 this year.There is still no indication on the case record that Hanghome has paid bail in the meantime.A 20-year-old woman who was also at the house, Anja Britz, survived the incident.Windhoek residents Paulus Willibard, Theophilus Naftalie, Pedro Sampai Matondo and Johannes Hango have been facing three counts of murder and a charge of theft since being arrested in early March 2004.On Tuesday, all of them except for Angolan national Matondo, who has been at large since escaping from custody in 2004, were informed in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court that the Prosecutor General has declined to prosecute them.The PG has however decided that the fifth accused, Joseph Hanghome (33), should be arraigned in the High Court on five charges, Hanghome was told during an appearance before Magistrate Sarel Jacobs.Britz is set to be one of 23 possible State witnesses at Hanghome’s trial in the High Court, according to the indictment he is set to face.The four suspects against whom the charges were withdrawn were the first to be arrested in connection with the triple murder.They made a first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on March 5 2004. On March 6, it is stated in the indictment against Hanghome, another suspect, Hosea Johannes, was killed in a shootout with the Police at his home in Windhoek.The two firearms used in the killings on February 27 2004 – a 7,65 mm pistol and a .38 revolver of which the serial number had been removed – were found in Johannes’s possession, it is also stated.Hanghome was finally arrested at Keetmanshoop on March 18 2004.After his arrest a Police spokesman was quoted as saying that Hanghome had been resident in Windhoek at the time of the murders and had allegedly fled to Keetmanshoop after the incident.In the indictment Hanghome is set to face at his trial, it is alleged that he and Johannes had carried out the killings and an armed robbery that followed.The De Sousa couple, Stoop and Britz were sitting under a lapa in the couple’s garden when alleged armed robbers made a sudden appearance in the yard.They are thought to have gained entrance by removing two panels of a precast boundary wall, it is claimed.They shot all three victims in the head, before they forced Britz into the house, from where they stole Mrs De Sousa’s handbag and two cellphones.Hanghome is set to face three counts of murder, a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances and a count of illegal possession of a 7,65 mm pistol and .38 revolver at his trial, according to the indictment.It is alleged that all these crimes were committed by him and Johannes jointly, with them having acted with a common purpose before, during and after the incident.Naftalie and Hango have been free on bail of N$1 000 each since December 2 2004.Willibard and Hanghome were granted bail of N$10 000 each on November 27 last year.According to the record of their case in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, they were not able to pay this amount and the bail was reduced to N$7 000 on June 5 this year.There is still no indication on the case record that Hanghome has paid bail in the meantime.

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