Murder accused duo await decision

Home Crime and Courts Murder accused duo await decision

Maria Amakali
Windhoek

Two Windhoek residents, the 18-year-old Faizel Jason Minnies and Quinton Cloete, 21, are still waiting to hear from the prosecutor-general on the charges they face following a postponement in their murder case. The pair, who have been making appearances in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura since they were arrested, were informed the prosecutor-general needs more time to decide.

“The matter is on the roll for the prosecutor-general’s decision – we have received instructions that the office needs two more months for that purpose,” stated prosecutor Susan Nyatondo. The duo, who were released on bail of N$1,500 and N$2,000 respectively, are said to have caused the fatal stabbing which led to the death of Rafael Romanus Marishanu in May 2014. During the bail application, Minnies testified that he and his co-accused together with other friends were out drinking in the vicinity of Otjomuise, Windhoek on the date in question. The deceased came running towards him after he got robbed by someone else. After the ordeal, a tussle between Minnies and the deceased occurred and Cloete handed him a knife so that he could stab the deceased.

Minnies denied having a hand in the death of Marishanu and maintains the deceased had already been stabbed before they started arguing, which later led to them wrestling each other.

Through his recollections of events on that night, Cloete allegedly gave Minnies the knife to stab the deceased so that he (the deceased) may leave him alone.

Minnies explained he attempted to stab him but he missed and the deceased allegedly fled the scene and walked into a bar leaving the two behind. Marishanu died from a penetrating wound to the heart inflicted on him from the back.
According to the prosecution, on May 2, 2014 the deceased left his home for a drink at a local bar but he was never seen again, only to be discovered with a stab wound a few days later by locals.

Since the duo were only arrested in August 22, 2014 they had managed to get themselves into more trouble with the law.

The two have two more cases of assault read with the provisions of combating gender-based violence and robbery which are still on the roll.

Magistrate Surita Savage postponed the matter to September 25 for the prosecutor-general’s decision, setting a final remand for such purpose.