Nuusita Ashipala
Oshakati-Maurus Valombola, 59, who is on trial for murder has disputed testimonies of the police, his employee and witnesses, claiming the evidence brought before court was discussed beforehand.
Valombola claims the evidence was discussed in advance so that it could correlate and ensure he is incriminated and his image tarnished.
Valombola is on trial in the Oshakati High Court for the murder of 32-year-old Bernard Kalimbo whom he allegedly assaulted and struck with a car on February 6, 2013.
During cross-examination by state advocate Lucious Matota, Valombola who is a village headman admitted his family had paid Kalimbo’s family N$50,000 for funeral expenses, in compensation.
But he denied bumping or assaulting the deceased or being at the crime scene where Kalimbo’s sandal was found, arguing that the images before court do not correlate to the last meeting he had with Kalimbo.
Valombola further denied the damage to the bull bar on the vehicle he was driving, as well as the leaves and tree branch found on the car, came from the night of the incident.
According to Valombola the damage on the bull bar was from an earlier accident when he had bumped a donkey.
“I cannot dispute that there were leaves found on my car because I drive through the bushes all the time when I go to my shops,” he said.
Valombola disputed testimonies of the two people who went with him to the bar where he found Kalimbo and allegedly called him a ‘a big thief’.
He argues the music in the bar was too loud for anyone to have heard anything.
Valombola further told the court he was informed by his employee, a certain Teopolina, that Kalimbo was peeping to see where he was moving the money from the till. A scuffle then ensued when Kalimbo refused to leave a glass he was using in the bar, resulting in Valombola pushing Kalimbo.
Valombola then took a pool stick and hit the deceased. Two witnesses testified the stick broke when Valombola hit Kalimbo.
“Kalimbo then pulled out a silver-like object and that is when I pulled out my gun and shot between the two of us and the deceased fled the scene and started throwing stones,” said Valombola.
However, testimonies heard in court revealed Valombola threatened to shoot Kalimbo when he pulled out his gun and shot in Kalimbo’s direction.
The two are then said to have met at a different spot where Valombola stopped and the two again had a scuffle.
“After I saw that he didn’t get in the car, I drove around to see where he was so I could take him to his mother and report the matter because I had also consumed alcohol,” narrated Valombola.
Valombola admitted to not have reported the matter to the police and only reported himself on February 8, despite having been informed that the police were waiting for him at his place on February 7.
Judge Herman Januarie presided. Valombola was represented by Pieter Greyling of Jan Greyling and Associates.
The trial continues.