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Massacre suspect ‘knew about stolen items’

Massacre suspect ‘knew about stolen items’

THE Rehoboth area resident at whose house the Police found a hoard of items alleged to have been stolen from the Mariental district farm where eight people were killed two years ago, told a Policeman that he suspected that there was stolen property amongst items that were stored at his home, it was testified in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday.

A load of items that is suspected to have been stolen at farm Kareeboomvloer between Rehoboth and Kalkrand after the massacre on March 4 to 5 2005, was later found stored at a house at Areb, a farm west of Rehoboth, and at another house at Rehoboth itself, it is alleged in the trial of the four men accused of having been involved in the murders. One of the four charged men, Stoney Neidel (30), lived at both that farmhouse and that house at Rehoboth.The focus of trial in which he and three co-accused are facing 15 charges, including eight counts of murder, before Judge President Petrus Damaseb, for the moment shifted onto Neidel yesterday.Neidel and his three co-accused – brothers Sylvester and Gavin Beukes, and Justus Christiaan (‘Shorty’) Erasmus, the son of the owners of farm Kareeboomvloer who were among the murder victims – all pleaded not guilty to all charges when their trial started at the beginning of March.In a written plea explanation, Neidel informed the court that the Beukes brothers had arrived at his house at about midnight on the evening of March 5 2005 with a small truck loaded with livestock and other movable items.He accompanied them to Areb, which is a communal farm west of Rehoboth, where everything the brothers had on the vehicle were offloaded, Neidel stated.The Police later found the items that had been left at the farm, Neidel informed the court.Two rifles that are alleged to have been stolen at Kareeboomvloer after the killings were also found at Areb, it is alleged.Neidel referred to the rifles in his plea explanation, in which he stated: “The rifles I hid at a safe place away far from the house out of reach of the children where it was found by the Police.”He added: “I had no knowledge whatsoever of the murders as well as the fact that the items and livestock were stolen, although at some stage I became suspicious about the large quantity of items and intended to seriously talk to them about it when they return to the farm.”One of the Police officers who found the allegedly stolen goods at Areb and at Neidel’s house at Rehoboth is Constable Tjinaani Maherero.He testified before Judge President Damaseb yesterday.According to Maherero, he and other Police officers found two rifles hidden in tall grass about 300 metres from Neidel’s house at Areb on the evening of March 6 2005, after Neidel had directed them to that spot.Neidel was cooperative towards the Police, Maherero indicated.”Stoney at that time was not a suspect.He was a witness,” he said.”He was willing, no-one forced him, he was not a suspect.He was a witness.”Neidel also told the Police that he suspected that some of the items that the Beukes brothers had left at the farm were stolen, so he decided to move them some distance away from the house, Maherero added.After Neidel had pointed out places where items that the brothers had left could be found, he also told the Police that the brothers had left more items at his house at Rehoboth, Maherero testified.Neidel is denying this, defence lawyer Winnie Christians stated to the witness.Maherero said amongst the items found at the farm were the two rifles, a power generator and a fridge full of food.At Neidel’s house, more suspected stolen items, which included a television and a radio cassette player, were found.The Police also found a .38 Special revolver about 500 metres from Neidel’s house at Areb, Maherero said.Sylvester Beukes showed the spot where that firearm was to Warrant Officer Geoffrey Scott after the latter had interrogated him about the whereabouts of the revolver, Maherero related.He claimed that the revolver had been used to shoot the people who were killed at Kareeboomvloer.The trial continues today.One of the four charged men, Stoney Neidel (30), lived at both that farmhouse and that house at Rehoboth.The focus of trial in which he and three co-accused are facing 15 charges, including eight counts of murder, before Judge President Petrus Damaseb, for the moment shifted onto Neidel yesterday.Neidel and his three co-accused – brothers Sylvester and Gavin Beukes, and Justus Christiaan (‘Shorty’) Erasmus, the son of the owners of farm Kareeboomvloer who were among the murder victims – all pleaded not guilty to all charges when their trial started at the beginning of March.In a written plea explanation, Neidel informed the court that the Beukes brothers had arrived at his house at about midnight on the evening of March 5 2005 with a small truck loaded with livestock and other movable items.He accompanied them to Areb, which is a communal farm west of Rehoboth, where everything the brothers had on the vehicle were offloaded, Neidel stated.The Police later found the items that had been left at the farm, Neidel informed the court.Two rifles that are alleged to have been stolen at Kareeboomvloer after the killings were also found at Areb, it is alleged.Neidel referred to the rifles in his plea explanation, in which he stated: “The rifles I hid at a safe place away far from the house out of reach of the children where it was found by the Police.”He added: “I had no knowledge whatsoever of the murders as well as the fact that the items and livestock were stolen, although at some stage I became suspicious about the large quantity of items and intended to seriously talk to them about it when they return to the farm.”One of the Police officers who found the allegedly stolen goods at Areb and at Neidel’s house at Rehoboth is Constable Tjinaani Maherero.He testified before Judge President Damaseb yesterday.According to Maherero, he and other Police officers found two rifles hidden in tall grass about 300 metres from Neidel’s house at Areb on the evening of March 6 2005, after Neidel had directed them to that spot.Neidel was cooperative towards the Police, Maherero indicated.”Stoney at that time was not a suspect.He was a witness,” he said.”He was willing, no-one forced him, he was not a suspect.He was a witness.”Neidel also told the Police that he suspected that some of the items that the Beukes brothers had left at the farm were stolen, so he decided to move them some distance away from the house, Maherero added.After Neidel had pointed out places where items that the brothers had left could be found, he also told the Police that the brothers had left more items at his house at Rehoboth, Maherero testified.Neidel is denying this, defence lawyer Winnie Christians stated to the witness.Maherero said amongst the items found at the farm were the two rifles, a power generator and a fridge full of food.At Neidel’s house, more suspected stolen items, which included a television and a radio cassette player, were found.The Police also found a .38 Special revolver about 500 metres from Neidel’s house at Areb, Maherero said.Sylvester Beukes showed the spot where that firearm was to Warrant Officer Geoffrey Scott after the latter had interrogated him about the whereabouts of the revolver, Maherero related.He claimed that the revolver had been used to shoot the people who were killed at Kareeboomvloer.The trial continues today.

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