Six men accused of the brutal murder of Patrick Hawala ‘Waka’ Hamupanda (31) made their first appearance in the Windhoek High Court before Deputy Judge President Hannelie Prinsloo this week.
Lukas Nghishekwa Simon (40), Festus Vulika Nehemia (28), Lukas Ndapanda Andreas (27), Kleopas Nghishikushitya Amutenya (28), Felix Armani Imfusi (30), and Modestus Mwawedange Wilhelm (32) are accused of the gangster style murder of Hamupanda who was shot and hacked with a panga in his house in Katutura on 13 August 2023.
They are facing charges of murder, conspiracy to kidnap and murder, possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence, and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The State is alleging that after they killed Hamupanda, the men threw away the firearm and ammunition as well as the pangas and knives used in the attack, to frustrate police investigations into the death and conceal or destroy evidence that could link them to the murder.
It is further alleged they destroyed the number plates of their getaway car and hid the vehicle inside a yard in Katutura. Further, it is alleged they destroyed a pair of blood stained shoes, a pair of trousers and shirt belonging to Hamupanda. They did all this to protect one or all of them from being prosecuted for Hamupanda’s death, the State asserts. According to the indictment, the accused were involved in some kind of dispute related to criminal case dockets opened by one of them and by the brother of another accused against the deceased. In one of the cases, Hamupanda was due to appear in court while in another one he had not yet been arrested or prosecuted at the time of his death. Angered by the failure of the police to arrest Hamupanda, the accused armed themselves with a firearm and pangas and knives and conspired to kidnap and murder him on Sunday 13 August 2023, it is alleged. The indictment further states that the accused drove in Wilhelm’s vehicle as they searched for Hamupanda whom they found at his girlfriend’s shack and shot him in the chest and hacked him with pangas and knives. Hamupanda died on the spot. The accused then fled the scene in the vehicle and got rid of the weapons and clothes to defeat the course of justice, it further alleged.
According to the State, the accused always acted with a common purpose. Simon is represented by Joseph Andreas, Nehemia by Solomon Kanyemba, Andreas by Eva Nangolo, Amutenya by Susan Nyatondo, Imfusi by Renè Strauss, and Wilhelm by Enos Mwakondange. The case was postponed to 20 August and all accused are on bail.
-rrouth@nepc.com.na