Six in court over murder of senior NDF officer

THE six men charged in connection with an alleged armed robbery in which Namibia Defence Force officer Elias Katanga was killed in the Brakwater area north of Windhoek in November last year made a first joint appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The late Lieutenant Colonel Katanga (55) was fatally shot when he and a female companion were attacked by a gang of armed robbers while they were having lunch near the Brakwater Weighbridge on November 18.According to court records at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, the first suspect to be charged in connection with the incident, Amon Siyambo Fillemon (32), was arrested on November 26. A second accused, Semete Haufiku (41), was arrested on December 15, while a third suspect, Thomas Erastus (27), was arrested on January 13. A fourth suspect, Simon Gabriel Shishiveni (30), had been arrested on November 27 last year on other robbery charges that are pending in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, and was added as an accused in the case over the murder of Katanga on January 14.The fifth accused in the case, Petrus Bwanga (24), was arrested on January 18, while the sixth suspect, Mateus Nahambo (20), was arrested on February 7.The six men were together in the dock in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court for the first time yesterday.They are charged with counts of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. On the robbery charge, the six are accused of having robbed Gisela Nemuno Uushona by pointing a gun at her and taking a cellphone, valued at N$600, a handbag valued at N$200, some N$140 in cash, and a chequebook from her.With their appearance before Magistrate Justine Asino yesterday, Fillemon, Haufiku, Erastus, Shishiveni and Bwanga all indicated to the magistrate that they were opting to conduct their own defence, without legal representation. After the Magistrate had reminded them that they were facing serious charges, and again asked them if they did not want to apply for legal aid or get the services of a private legal representative, Haufiku told the court that he wanted to apply for legal aid after all.Nahambo indicated with his first court appearance on Tuesday last week that he would be applying for legal aid.Fillemon, Erastus, Shishiveni and Bwanga however stuck to their decision to forego legal representation and conduct their own defence.Public Prosecutor Samantha Diergaardt asked the court to postpone the case to March 23 so that further investigations can be done in the meantime. She also asked the magistrate to direct that the six suspects should be kept in custody at Windhoek Central Prison until their next scheduled return to court.The Magistrate postponed the case, as requested, to March 23.Fillemon was also in the same dock before Magistrate Asino in another robbery case yesterday. In that matter, he is accused of having taken part in a robbery in which a man was held at knifepoint near the B1 road in the vicinity of Windhoek’s Northern Industrial Area on November 16 last year. The three robbers involved in that incident are alleged to have stolen items including a car radio and compact discs from their victim.Fillemon is the only suspect arrested in connection with that incident so far. That case of his was also postponed to March 23 for further investigations to be done.