An Omaheke resident accused of raping and murdering a woman in August 2020 before dumping her body in a drain says he was coached by police officers to confess his guilt after his arrest.
Testifying in the Windhoek High Court last week, Abel Mokalabatho (28) told judge Naomi Shivute police officers instructed him what to say before he made a confession to a magistrate at Gobabis, admitted guilt during a court appearance and pointed out scenes connected to his alleged crimes to the police.
Mokalabatho is standing trial on three counts of rape and charges of murder, kidnapping and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
He denied guilt on the murder, rape and kidnapping charges, but pleaded guilty to the count of defeating or obstructing the course of justice when his trial began in June last year.
Mokalabatho is accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering a 27-year-old woman, Anna Geinamses, at Drimiopsis in the Gobabis district on 1 to 2 August 2020.
The state is alleging that he raped Geinamses at a shebeen at Drimiopsis during the evening of 1 August 2020, kidnapped her from that scene, took her to his bedroom, again raped her twice and killed her the next morning by stabbing her in the neck and fastening a piece of wire around her neck.
In a plea explanation at the start of his trial, Mokalabatho said he and Geinamses were starting a relationship before her death.
He said she went to his bedroom voluntarily and claimed Geinamses stabbed herself in the neck with a knife during a quarrel that was sparked when he received a phone call from an ex-girlfriend.
Mokalabatho also said he panicked after Geinamses had died and he then decided to place her body in a drain on the premises where he stayed.
He also admitted that he told police officers investigating the disappearance of Geinamses that she had gone to a farm with an unknown man.
Geinamses was missing for about two and a half weeks before her body was found in the drain where Mokalabatho had dumped it.
Mokalabatho told the judge on Monday last week that police officers who questioned him did not inform him of his rights before he pointed out scenes allegedly connected to his crimes to them.
He also said one of the police officers brought a dog into an office where he was questioned and that the dog bit him on his right foot.
A bucket of water was standing in the same office and the police officer held his head under that water “for more than 30 minutes”, Mokalabatho said.
The officer also electrocuted him with a cattle prod, he claimed.
On Friday, Mokalabatho added that before he made a confession to a magistrate at Gobabis on 21 August 2020, police officers instructed him what to tell the magistrate.
The police officers also told him before an appearance in the Gobabis Magistrate Court on 24 August 2020 that he should plead guilty on the charges he was facing, he said.
During the plea proceedings at Gobabis, Mokalabatho admitted guilt on all six charges.
On the murder charge, he told the magistrate he stabbed Geinamses once in the neck with a knife, after she had told him she was going to report to her mother that he had raped her.
Mokalabatho also said after he had stabbed Geinamses, he tied a piece of wire around her neck and strangled her.
The trial is scheduled to continue on 2 July.
Mokalabatho, who is being held in custody, is represented by defence lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji.
State advocate Ethel Ndlovu is prosecuting.
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