WINDHOEK – Gabriel Jana Petrus, who stands accused of strangling his girlfriend to death with a tie in June last year, will go on trial in the High Court next year.
The 32-year-old Petrus is facing a charge of murder. Petrus was denied bail in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court last year and will remain in custody until next year when he is due to appear in court on June 09. Petrus is the son of businessman Petrus Gabriel, the owner of Okalindi Group CC, which owns long-distance busses, as well as a chain of retail shops and restaurants. He is accused of strangling to death Tuwilika Ekandjo, at that time aged 22, in Khomasdal in the early morning hours in June last year. It is suspected that Ekandjo broke-off her relationship with Petrus, who then started stalking and sending her messages threatening to kill her. Petrus allegedly sneaked into Ekandjo’s room to commit the crime. Deputy Commissioner Sylvanus Nghishidimbwa, Khomas Regional Investigations Crime Co-ordinator, informed New Era last year that the accuse scaled the wall of the house and sneaked into her bedroom through the window.
At the time, Ekandjo was sleeping with a female friend. He allegedly ordered the two not to scream and ordered the friend into a wardrobe and locked her inside. After the incident, Petrus allegedly left the house and started sending short text messages (SMS) to his relatives informing them that he was going to commit suicide, since he had just killed his ex-girlfriend. But an uncle supposedly convinced him not to take his own life, and requested to meet with Petrus to talk matters over. After they met the uncle managed to persuade him to hand himself over to the police. Ekandjo was a fourth-year information technology student, and an intern at Telecom Namibia.
By Tunomukwathi Asino