Not guilty, says cellphone shooter

FORMER Katutura State Hospital nurse Jekonia Hamukoto, who is accused of shooting dead three people in a Windhoek shebeen in early February, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and three counts of attempted murder.

He made his latest appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura on Friday. Hamukoto did not intend to kill anybody; he was only trying to protect his property, Hamukoto’s defence lawyer, Boris Isaacks, told Magistrate Desmond Beukes of Hamukoto’s plea on the six charges On the three counts of murder, Hamukoto is accused of shooting dead Jonas Erastus (22), Festus Aron (25) and Boni Shuudeni (25).On the three charges of attempted murder, he is accused of trying to kill another three men – Joel Hango, Timo Kandjumbwa and Primus Ashipala – in the same shooting incident at Kondjeni Bottle Store, a shebeen at the Katutura Single Quarters, early on the afternoon of Friday, February 2.The Namibian Police reported after the incident that the shooting appeared to have been sparked by a missing cellphone.Hamukoto alleged the phone was stolen from him after he had entered the shebeen.After ordering some people in the shebeen to undress so that he could search them, he fired a shot from a 9 mm pistol through the roof of the shebeen, before he started shooting randomly at people inside the bar, the Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division reported at the time.During a court hearing in early March when Hamukoto formally applied to be released on bail, Hamukoto himself also explained that the disappearance of his cellphone at the shebeen had set the stage for the shooting.He admitted that he had fired the shots that claimed the three lives and left another three people wounded that day, but denied that he had any intention to kill anyone.He had taken out his firearm, and then fired some shots as a warning to the unknown person that had stolen his cellphone from a table, was Hamukoto’s explanation during his bail application.That bail application failed, and Hamukoto is still in Police custody.He was told on Friday that he is set to return to court on August 8.His case was postponed to that date so that the Prosecutor General can decide how to proceed with the prosecution.Hamukoto did not intend to kill anybody; he was only trying to protect his property, Hamukoto’s defence lawyer, Boris Isaacks, told Magistrate Desmond Beukes of Hamukoto’s plea on the six charges On the three counts of murder, Hamukoto is accused of shooting dead Jonas Erastus (22), Festus Aron (25) and Boni Shuudeni (25).On the three charges of attempted murder, he is accused of trying to kill another three men – Joel Hango, Timo Kandjumbwa and Primus Ashipala – in the same shooting incident at Kondjeni Bottle Store, a shebeen at the Katutura Single Quarters, early on the afternoon of Friday, February 2. The Namibian Police reported after the incident that the shooting appeared to have been sparked by a missing cellphone.Hamukoto alleged the phone was stolen from him after he had entered the shebeen.After ordering some people in the shebeen to undress so that he could search them, he fired a shot from a 9 mm pistol through the roof of the shebeen, before he started shooting randomly at people inside the bar, the Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division reported at the time.During a court hearing in early March when Hamukoto formally applied to be released on bail, Hamukoto himself also explained that the disappearance of his cellphone at the shebeen had set the stage for the shooting.He admitted that he had fired the shots that claimed the three lives and left another three people wounded that day, but denied that he had any intention to kill anyone.He had taken out his firearm, and then fired some shots as a warning to the unknown person that had stolen his cellphone from a table, was Hamukoto’s explanation during his bail application.That bail application failed, and Hamukoto is still in Police custody.He was told on Friday that he is set to return to court on August 8.His case was postponed to that date so that the Prosecutor General can decide how to proceed with the prosecution.