Nicodemus sent for mental observation

DOUBLE murder accused Lukas Nepela Nicodemus, who is charged with the killing of two women whose burnt remains were found at a dumpsite in Windhoek two months ago, is due to undergo a period of psychiatric observation to see if he is fit to stand trial.

An order that Nicodemus’ mental condition should be examined by a psychiatrist was made by magistrate Ilge Rheent when Nicodemus made a second appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The order was issued after defence lawyer Milton Engelbrecht, who is representing Nicodemus on instructions from the Directorate of Legal Aid, told the magistrate that he has not been able to get proper instructions from his client during the three consultations he has had with Nicodemus since the end of January.

Public prosecutor Rowan van Wyk did not oppose Engelbrecht’s application that Nicodemus should be referred for psychiatric observation.

Nicodemus was arrested on 7 January – the same day that the burnt bodies of two women, Johanie Naruses (29) and Clemensia de Wee (23), were found at a dumpsite to the west of Pionierspark in Windhoek. The Namibian reported at the time that a cellphone SIM card was found in a pocket of the jeans that one of the women was dressed in, and that the SIM card helped the police to identify the woman and further put them on Nicodemus’ trail.

It was also reported at the time that Naruses and Nicodemus knew each other and that he picked her up at her house in Windhoek on the evening before she and De Wee were found dead.

The police’s crime investigation coordinator in the Khomas region, deputy commissioner Silvanus Nghishidimbwa, said yesterday that the manner in which the two women had been killed – whether they were shot with a firearm, killed with a knife, or murdered by some other means – had not been determined yet and was still being investigated.

Most of the rest of the investigation of the case has been wrapped up, with an estimated 85% of the police’s probe completed, Nghishidimbwa said.

He added that the police are not looking for any further suspects in connection with the matter at this stage.

With his first appearance in court on 11 January, Nicodemus told the magistrate that he did not know how he would plead to the charges as he did not know what happened.

The public prosecutor also informed the court on that occasion that there were fears for Nicodemus’ safety after he had made threats about committing suicide. As a result of that, the prosecutor asked that Nicodemus should be kept in custody at the Windhoek Correctional Facility (Windhoek Central Prison).

Nicodemus is still being detained at the Windhoek Correctional Facility, magistrate Rheent was told yesterday. Nicodemus’ case was postponed to 8 April.

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