Roland Routh
Windhoek-The five men and one woman involved in the murder-for-hire trial currently underway in the Windhoek High Court yesterday morning refused to attend court because the accused are not getting lunch while waiting for their trial to proceed after the lunch break.
The police officers responsible for bringing the accused persons to court informed Acting Judge Johanna Salionga that the six accused allegedly under the leadership of David Matali, 45 (accused 2) refused to attend court proceedings until they are guaranteed that they will receive food during the lunch break.
Matali and Annastancia Nalucha Lubinda, 34, together with David Kondjara, 32, Abiud Uazeua, 35, Donald Hindjou, 26, and Dollam Dollam Tjitjahuma, 27, are on trial for the murder of Peter Riscoh Muleke, 36, the husband of Lubinda.
Lubinda was supposed to testify in the trial within a trial in which she, Kondjara and Hindjou are disputing confessions and statements they made after their arrest.
It was expected that she would testify yesterday afternoon.
All of them claim they were unduly influenced to make the statements and were assaulted, threatened and promised bail and light sentences to make the statements. They further claim that they were told by the investigating officer what to say in their confessions to the magistrates.
The three magistrates who took down the confessions, Rina Horn, Suritha Savage and Vannesa Stanley testified during the trial within a trial that they did not observe any injuries on the accused, neither were they informed of any threats or promises made to the accused.
The investigating officers also testified that Lubinda, Kondjara and Hindjou made the statements out of their free will.
The accused are arraigned on charges of murder, robbery, possession of drugs and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
All pleaded not guilty at the start of their trial last week.
Lubinda is accused of hiring Matali, Kondjara, Uazeua, Hindjou and Oviritje artist Dollam Dollam Tjitjahuma to kill Muleke. She alone is charged with murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act while her co-accused are charged with murder among the other charges.
The trial continues today and all accused are in
custody.
Caption (Pic: Lubinda): Annastancia Lubinda.
Photo: Roland Routh