KEETMANSHOOP - The prosecutor general is unable to decide on the case in which two police officers of the Special Reserve Force (SRF) Unit are accused of killing a Keetmanshoop resident, because investigations remain incomplete.

On Friday, public prosecutor Iyaloo Haipinge informed Keetmanshoop magistrate Unchen Konjore that the prosecutor general’s decision in the case of officers Bernard Mulisa and Willlibardt Neshuku was not available yet.

“We received a letter from the prosecutor general’s office, where she remarked that investigations remain incomplete. Therefore, she is not in a position to come to a decision yet. The state is thus asking for a further remand for investigations to be completed,” she submitted.

The prosecutor general is expected to decide whether she will prosecute the accused, on what charges, and where they will stand trial.

Konjore postponed the matter to 19 February 2024, despite the accused’s defence lawyer Arnesto da Costa having requested that the matter be removed from the court roll as it has been there for four months, pending the PG’s decision.

The magistrate said it was reasonable to give the state a final remand due to the seriousness of the charges. 

Mulisa and his co-accused Neshuku are facing a charge of murder, and an alternative count of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm in connection with the death of Ellest Plaatjie (30).

According to sources privy to the incident, the deceased was picked up by members of the SRF unit on 12 January 2023 whilst in possession of a small bag of cannabis. It is alleged that the accused seriously assaulted him, to such an extent that he died later at the Katutura State Hospital in Windhoek. 

Both accused are currently out on bail. 

-sklukowski@nepc.com.na

Final remand… Protesters in Keetmanshoop at the time of the incident earlier this year.

Photo: File