Two more weeks needed for teen murder case tests

A YEAR and seven months after being asked to analyse exhibits in the case of the killing of schoolgirl Ipula Akwenye, the National Forensic Science Institute of Namibia says it still needs another two weeks to complete this task.

The 19-year-old suspect alleged to have killed Akwenye, who is claimed to have been his girlfriend, in Windhoek West on January 29 last year, appeared before Magistrate Rachel Nathaniel in the Windhoek Magistrates Court in Katutura for the second time in four days on Friday. At his previous appearance the Magistrate had put her foot down over the repeated delays that have marked the case so far.She told the prosecution that it would have to be ready with the Prosecutor Generals decision on the case by Friday, or she would release the suspect on bail.Faced with this ultimatum, Deputy Prosecutor General Jackson Kuutondokwa himself appeared for the State before the Magistrate on Friday to explain to her that the PGs decision remained outstanding because another cog in the wheels of justice the National Forensic Science Institute of Namibia had not yet completed the turns needed before the PG would be able to take a decision.The decision involves what charges Akwenyes alleged murderer would face, and in which court he would be put on trial.Kuutondokwa also called the Director of the Institute, Dr Paul Ludik, to the witness stand to give a first-hand explanation of what was holding up the test results that had been requested in early February last year already.In three weeks’ time, Ludik will face another turn in the witness box to explain the prolonged delays experienced when test results are requested from the Institute.He has been summoned to the High Court to explain these delays on September 27.Ludik told Magistrate Nathaniel that the case at hand was complex, that it had in fact been given preference at the understaffed Institute, but that “a few more days” about two weeks would be needed to complete the work.According to a document handed to the court these include a pickaxe handle suspected to be stained with blood that was found at the scene where the 17-year-old Akwenye was found bludgeoned to death, three big rocks, also blood-stained, found at the same site, the head of a pick, allegedly found at the home of the suspect, a pair of white sneakers, thought to have blood spots on them, that the Police claim to have found in the suspects room, and clothing that the suspect is thought to have worn at the time of the incident.The Institute has been asked to establish whether the items indeed have blood on them, if it matches Akwenyes blood, and whether the pickaxe handle and head fit together and could be said to be part of the same single implement.Magistrate Nathaniel remarked that she was satisfied with the explanation that the test results would be available within two weeks.She added that she was still concerned over the slow pace of the case, but granted the State the postponement it sought, to September 17.That would be a final postponement for further investigations, she said.The suspect remains in custody, where he has been since his arrest on January 31.At his previous appearance the Magistrate had put her foot down over the repeated delays that have marked the case so far.She told the prosecution that it would have to be ready with the Prosecutor Generals decision on the case by Friday, or she would release the suspect on bail.Faced with this ultimatum, Deputy Prosecutor General Jackson Kuutondokwa himself appeared for the State before the Magistrate on Friday to explain to her that the PGs decision remained outstanding because another cog in the wheels of justice the National Forensic Science Institute of Namibia had not yet completed the turns needed before the PG would be able to take a decision.The decision involves what charges Akwenyes alleged murderer would face, and in which court he would be put on trial.Kuutondokwa also called the Director of the Institute, Dr Paul Ludik, to the witness stand to give a first-hand explanation of what was holding up the test results that had been requested in early February last year already.In three weeks’ time, Ludik will face another turn in the witness box to explain the prolonged delays experienced when test results are requested from the Institute.He has been summoned to the High Court to explain these delays on September 27.Ludik told Magistrate Nathaniel that the case at hand was complex, that it had in fact been given preference at the understaffed Institute, but that “a few more days” about two weeks would be needed to complete the work.According to a document handed to the court these include a pickaxe handle suspected to be stained with blood that was found at the scene where the 17-year-old Akwenye was found bludgeoned to death, three big rocks, also blood-stained, found at the same site, the head of a pick, allegedly found at the home of the suspect, a pair of white sneakers, thought to have blood spots on them, that the Police claim to have found in the suspects room, and clothing that the suspect is thought to have worn at the time of the incident.The Institute has been asked to establish whether the items indeed have blood on them, if it matches Akwenyes blood, and whether the pickaxe handle and head fit together and could be said to be part of the same single implement.Magistrate Nathaniel remarked that she was satisfied with the explanation that the test results would be available within two weeks.She added that she was still concerned over the slow pace of the case, but granted the State the postponement it sought, to September 17.That would be a final postponement for further investigations, she said.The suspect remains in custody, where he has been since his arrest on January 31.