Triple murder suspect sent for mental tests

A RESIDENT of an Eenhana district village who is accused of having claimed three lives during a two-day killing spree almost two years ago was yesterday referred for psychiatric observation.

The 29-year-old Tuhafeni Berendisa Kutamudi, who is set to go on trial in the High Court in Windhoek on three charges of murder, will now spend the next 30 days being observed by a psychiatrist, in order to determine if he would be able to understand the proceedings at his trial. The psychiatric observation is also aimed at determining his mental capacity at the time of the alleged crimes.Acting Judge John Manyarara ordered that Kutamudi be sent for psychiatric observation after his defence counsel, Ivo dos Santos, had told the court that he was having doubts over his client’s mental state and thought it advisable that he be referred for psychiatric evaluation before the start of his trial.The alleged crimes that Kutamudi is accused of date back to the early days of September 2002, when he allegedly lived at the village Onhuno in the Eenhana district in the Ohangwena Region.According to the indictment, three of the people who also lived at Onhuno, would be left dead at the hands of Kutamudi, before the first week of September 2002 had passed.The first to die were Policapus Haitale Paulus (58) and Sylvia Ndahafa Frans (65), it is alleged.They were killed on the evening of September 4 or during the early morning hours of September 5 2002, when Kutamudi stabbed them to death with a knife after a quarrel, the prosecution is charging.The last to die was a daughter of Frans, the 25-year-old Eunice Kambwali, is it also alleged.According to the indictment she arrived at the homestead of her mother and Paulus at about 08h00 on the morning of September 5 2002, whereupon Kutamudi stabbed her, too, to death.After that killing, it is charged, Kutamudi called three fellow villagers – they are now listed as State witnesses for Kutamudi’s pending trial – and showed them the bodies of the three dead people.Kutamudi was arrested the same day, and has been in custody since then.The prosecution against him is set to be conducted by Public Prosecutor Rolanda Gertze, who also appeared for the State yesterday.The psychiatric observation is also aimed at determining his mental capacity at the time of the alleged crimes.Acting Judge John Manyarara ordered that Kutamudi be sent for psychiatric observation after his defence counsel, Ivo dos Santos, had told the court that he was having doubts over his client’s mental state and thought it advisable that he be referred for psychiatric evaluation before the start of his trial.The alleged crimes that Kutamudi is accused of date back to the early days of September 2002, when he allegedly lived at the village Onhuno in the Eenhana district in the Ohangwena Region.According to the indictment, three of the people who also lived at Onhuno, would be left dead at the hands of Kutamudi, before the first week of September 2002 had passed.The first to die were Policapus Haitale Paulus (58) and Sylvia Ndahafa Frans (65), it is alleged.They were killed on the evening of September 4 or during the early morning hours of September 5 2002, when Kutamudi stabbed them to death with a knife after a quarrel, the prosecution is charging.The last to die was a daughter of Frans, the 25-year-old Eunice Kambwali, is it also alleged.According to the indictment she arrived at the homestead of her mother and Paulus at about 08h00 on the morning of September 5 2002, whereupon Kutamudi stabbed her, too, to death.After that killing, it is charged, Kutamudi called three fellow villagers – they are now listed as State witnesses for Kutamudi’s pending trial – and showed them the bodies of the three dead people.Kutamudi was arrested the same day, and has been in custody since then.The prosecution against him is set to be conducted by Public Prosecutor Rolanda Gertze, who also appeared for the State yesterday.