The police have alleged that murder accused Abner Mateus made several attempts to make a fraud case docket against him disappear, including recruiting police officers to steal court documents.
Lead investigator detective chief inspector Antonius Gabriel made these allegations while testifying in the bail application of Mateus’ nephew and co-accused, Petrus Shikwaya, on Thursday.
According to Gabriel, Mateus had a motive to interfere with the administration of justice because he was facing fraud charges stemming from a 2022 case.
Mateus was arrested in November 2022 alongside three other accused after they allegedly defrauded a pensioner of N$70 000.
He was subsequently denied bail by late prosecutor Justine Shiweda, who was handling the matter.
Gabriel told the court that Mateus repeatedly sought to remove evidence linking him to the fraud case.
“Abner Mewiliko (Mateus) made four attempts to make his docket disappear,” Gabriel testified.
He alleged that Mateus initially planned to burn down the office where the docket was being kept at court. When that failed, he allegedly recruited police officers to steal the docket.
“When that did not materialise, he wanted to pay the officers to steal the documents,” Gabriel told the court.
The investigator further testified that Mateus also attempted to bribe Shiweda to make the docket disappear.
“That’s what triggered him to eliminate Justine Shiweda because she was the stumbling block,” Gabriel testified.
Mateus and Shikwaya are accused of murdering Shiweda, who was shot and attacked with acid in October last year.
She succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack on 7 February this year.
Earlier this week, Mateus testified in support of Shikwaya’s bail application.
Mateus, whom the state alleges masterminded the attack, denied any involvement in the murder.
