‘Not guilty’, says family shooting suspect Endjala

ATTEMPTED murder suspect Michael Endjala, who is accused of trying to kill four members of his family in a shooting in Windhoek in late October last year, pleaded not guilty to four counts of attempted murder in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura yesterday.

“Not guilty”, Endjala told Magistrate Desmond Beukes when the Magistrate asked him what his plea was on the four charges that Public Prosecutor Roxzaan Witbooi put to him yesterday morning. Endjala (29) would not at this stage be disclosing the basis of his defence, his defence lawyer, Sisa Namandje, also told the Magistrate.The charges on which Endjala pleaded are counts of attempted murder in which it is alleged that he had tried to kill four members of his family – his wife, Priscilla Endjala, the couple’s then eight-year-old son, Le Branco Gatyeni, their then 16-month-old daughter, Nissy Endjala, and Mrs Endjala’s sister, Dorothy Gatyeni – by shooting each of them with a pistol at the Endjala couple’s rented flat in Khomasdal’s Garnet Street on the evening of October 20 last year.Mrs Endjala was shot in the chest.Her daughter and sister were both shot in the abdomen, while the couple’s son was struck in the left leg.During a bail application by Endjala in mid-December last year, Mrs Endjala told Magistrate Beukes that she wanted her husband to be released from custody.She very reluctantly also told the court that the person who fired off shots at their home on the evening of the incident was Michael Endjala.During the same bail hearing, Endjala himself – while professing to be a loving and committed family man – also told the court that he was the person who had committed the offences that he was charged with.Endjala remains in Police custody.His case is scheduled to return to court on July 4, Endjala was informed yesterday.The matter was postponed to that date to give the Prosecutor General time to take a decision on the further course that the prosecution against Endjala would be taking.During yesterday’s court proceedings Namandje also raised the question of whether Mrs Endjala can be compelled to give evidence against her husband.He remarked that he wanted the State to clear up this issue with Mrs Endjala – who has so far refused to make a witness statement about the incident to the Police – because as Endjala’s spouse she could according to Namibia’s Constitution not be compelled to give evidence against her husband.Endjala (29) would not at this stage be disclosing the basis of his defence, his defence lawyer, Sisa Namandje, also told the Magistrate.The charges on which Endjala pleaded are counts of attempted murder in which it is alleged that he had tried to kill four members of his family – his wife, Priscilla Endjala, the couple’s then eight-year-old son, Le Branco Gatyeni, their then 16-month-old daughter, Nissy Endjala, and Mrs Endjala’s sister, Dorothy Gatyeni – by shooting each of them with a pistol at the Endjala couple’s rented flat in Khomasdal’s Garnet Street on the evening of October 20 last year.Mrs Endjala was shot in the chest.Her daughter and sister were both shot in the abdomen, while the couple’s son was struck in the left leg.During a bail application by Endjala in mid-December last year, Mrs Endjala told Magistrate Beukes that she wanted her husband to be released from custody.She very reluctantly also told the court that the person who fired off shots at their home on the evening of the incident was Michael Endjala.During the same bail hearing, Endjala himself – while professing to be a loving and committed family man – also told the court that he was the person who had committed the offences that he was charged with.Endjala remains in Police custody. His case is scheduled to return to court on July 4, Endjala was informed yesterday.The matter was postponed to that date to give the Prosecutor General time to take a decision on the further course that the prosecution against Endjala would be taking.During yesterday’s court proceedings Namandje also raised the question of whether Mrs Endjala can be compelled to give evidence against her husband.He remarked that he wanted the State to clear up this issue with Mrs Endjala – who has so far refused to make a witness statement about the incident to the Police – because as Endjala’s spouse she could according to Namibia’s Constitution not be compelled to give evidence against her husband.