A Swakopmund man, who is on trial for allegedly killing his 78-year-old employer in August 2017, has blatantly denied guilt, saying he was forced by the investigating officer to admit guilt.
Unaaro Mbemukenga testified yesterday he was coerced by the investigating officer to admit guilt for something he has not done.
He further informed the court the State, his girlfriend and other witnesses conspired to come up with lies that he killed Manfred Karl Hartmann at
Swakopmund.
The 27-year-old Mbemukenga took the witness stand yesterday in the Windhoek High Court before Judge Orben Sibeya.
“I would like to inform the court that I have never killed anyone nor have I ever robbed anyone,” said a laughing Mbemukenga.
Judge Sibeya questioned Mbemukenga why he thought the proceedings were funny.
He explained to the court he found it funny that he was being accused of a crime he had not committed.
Mbemukenga is currently being tried on charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances, charges to which he took a no guilty plea at the start of his trial last year.
The charges stem from the death of Hartmann, a pensioner from Germany who retired to Swakopmund.
Mbemukenga was employed by Hartmann as a gardener for nearly two months.
It is alleged that he attacked Hartmann with a brick and strangled him with an electric wire that was fastened to a washbasin in an outside toilet at the victim’s residence.
The deceased died as a result of strangulation, according to medical reports.
Mbemukenga allegedly also robbed the deceased of N$1 500 in cash, a laptop, two cellphones, clothes and beddings.
The police arrested him two days after the incident in Outjo where he was shot in the leg for trying to evade arrest.
He currently has difficulties walking and uses clutches.
During the trial, Mbemukenga’s former girlfriend implicated him when she took the stand to testify.
It was her testimony that the red cap with white stripes, which was frayed on the front peak, found next to the deceased’s body belonged to Mbemukenga.
She testified that he wore the cap to work on the date in question.
mamakali@nepc.com.na