WINDHOEK – A Swakopmund resident, Martin Angamba, pleaded not guilty to all charges, including a charge of murder, in the Windhoek High Court before Judge Alfred Siboleka yesterday.
Martin Angamba who was employed as an armed security guard at the Swakopmund branch of G4 Security is facing one charge of murder, one charge of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or alternatively driving with an excessive amount of alcohol in his breath, one charge of pointing of a firearm and one count of assault by threat. It is alleged that Angamba killed 28-year-old Andrew Molaletz, a colleague and his supervisor, on December 28, 2011 in Swakopmund. It is further alleged that he then drove a motor vehicle, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and/or a drug having a narcotic effect or alternatively that he drove the vehicle while the concentration of alcohol in his breath was more than 0.37ml of breath exhaled, to wit 0.73 mg per 100 ml.
The third counts relates to Angamba allegedly pointing a firearm at the complainant, Elma Bloedooght, who was also a colleague of his and manning the control room, while the fourth count of assault also relates to Bloedooght. In the indictment it is stated that Molaletz who was off-duty that evening received a call from the office to attend to complaints from a location where Angamba was operating. It is alleged that the deceased proceeded to Mondesa Mini Market where he met the accused, who drove the vehicle back to the office, while the deceased was a passenger. On their way there, the accused allegedly stopped the vehicle in front of Hansa Bakery and shot the deceased with his service pistol. He then proceeded to the offices of G4S where he threatened to kill Bloedooght according to the indictment.
Titus Iipumbu who appears for Angamba on instruction from Legal Aid confirmed to the court that the pleas are in accordance with his instructions and indicated to the court that they plead self-defense on the murder charge. He also said that his client challenges the State to prove the allegations in count 2 and claims that his client merely took out the pistol in order to show Bloedooght the weapon that killed Molaletz. He denies ever threatening Bloedooght and also puts the burden of proof on the State.
On count one, Iipumbu said, his client will testify that he was provoked by the deceased the whole time they were together to the extent that he feared an attack on his person from the deceased.
The State’s first witness, Bloedooght told the court that she was on duty in the control room that evening when an alarm that went off at Mondesa Mini Market was reported, whereupon she dispatched Angamba to go and investigate. When he reported back to her, his speech was slurred she said and she suspected that he was drunk. She said she then instructed him to return to the office, but he refused. According to the witness, at around 03h30 in the morning she heard the accused’s distinctive knock on the door and she opened it, whereupon Angamba took out his service pistol, pointed it at her and asked her who had called Molaletz. She said that she immediately went up to Angamba and they struggled over the pistol, with her crying and begging for her life until eventually Angamba relaxed and holstered the firearm. They then proceeded outside according to Bloedooght with Angamba wanting to show her where Molaletz was, but she refused and said that she could not leave the office unmanned.
On her return to the office, she said, she heard footsteps behind her and the sound of a firearm being cocked and she ran inside the office, but was overpowered by Angamba who told her “you see where my finger is, one little push and you are dead.”
Bloedooght told the court that she again managed to calm Angamba down after which he left, but not before she could see various wine and beer bottles in the vehicle. The case continues today with Advocate Ethel Ndlovu to continue with the State’s case. Angamba’s bail was also extended.
By Roland Routh