WINDHOEK – Andre Castri Friedel Dausab, 32, an IT technician at the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) who is accused of murdering a trainee pastor in Windhoek in February this year, pleaded not guilty when the matter continued in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The case was remanded to 7 November for the prosecutor general’s decision on how to proceed with the matter.
Dausab is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Gofaone Motlamme, 33, at the Paulinum Theological College in Windhoek on 22 February. Motlamme, a Motswana who was a student at the college, was killed when she was allegedly stabbed repeatedly with a knife.
Last month Dausab was found to be mentally fit to stand trial.
Chaos broke out at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court after his first appearance when he attacked Allgemeine Zeitung photographer, Marc Springer, knocking down the journalist with a vicious blow behind the ear.
After proceedings the police led a very aggressive Dausab out of A-Court. While walking past members of the public and journalists in the corridor, the accused broke loose and hit Springer behind the left ear, felling him to the floor. The police then jumped onto the accused like tigers and managed to contain him. The struggle continued up to the holding cells with Dausab’s lawyer jumping into the crowd trying to protect his client from any blows.
As a result all accused are now handcuffed to and from court. And New Era learned that a police officer was scolded after he appeared in a newspaper escorting an un-handcuffed accused.
New Era reported in April that as a result a warrant-officer Loide Neis who was in charge at the court was transferred to the Katutura police station.
Dausab was not handcuffed at the time he punched the journalist. Following the incident, police officers were asked why the accused was not handcuffed and they allegedly said that Neis had refused to give them handcuffs, allegedly saying they were for her use alone, sources told New Era. She allegedly also refused to provide them with guns on the same grounds.
However, Khomas regional commander, Major General Desiderius Shilunga denied at the time that it was the reason for the officer’s move.
“It’s not the reason,” he informed New Era. Shilunga said it is routine for officers to be transferred if they have been in a position for too long.
The inspector general, Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga said following the incident where the journalist was punched he made it clear to the regional commander that he did not want to see a repeat of the same – “and that he should take measures”.