WINDHOEK – Another long stretch lays before five people accused of being part of a murder-for-hire plot in which a City of Windhoek employee lost his life in a most barbaric manner.
High Court Judge Johanna Salionga postponed the trial, dubbed murder for hire to February 17 next year after none of the lawyers involved in the matter could find any dates sooner for the continuation of the trial.
Found in a pool of blood, lifeless, and with his body surrounded by bloody stones and a rock as a testimony of the brutal manner in which he found his end, the discovery instigated an investigation that would eventually lead to his wife and five people allegedly hired by her for N$5 000 to murder him.
This is the tale of the brutal and callous killing of Peter Riscoh Muleke, 36, allegedly at the hands (literally) of David Kondjara, 32, Abuid Uazeua, 39, Donald Hindjou, 28, and Orivitje artist Dollam Tjitjahuma, 29, at the behest of Annastancia Lubinda, 33.
One of them, David Matali, however succumbed to illness while in the care of the police at the Windhoek Correctional Facility’s wing for trial-awaiting prisoners.
The lifeless body of Muleke was found near Penduka Centre at the Goreangab Dam on March 30, 2015.
Lubinda is facing a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, while her co-accused are charged with murder.
They also face a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances for robbing the deceased of his cellphone and SIM card while hitting him with stones and other unknown objects.
Uazeua and Dollam further face a charge of possession of drugs after the police found 15 grams of dagga in the room they rented in Katutura on April 1 last year.
They also face a charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice for allegedly destroying dagga inside the house after the police came knocking at the door.
According to the indictment, the accused conspired to kill Muleke.
Lubinda is represented by Milton Engelbrecht on instructions of legal aid, Kondjara by legal aid lawyer Tuna Nhinda, Uazeua by Mbanga Siyomunji on instructions of legal aid, Meriam Kenaruzo, another legal aid lawyer for Hindjou and Natji Tjirera, also from legal aid, appears on behalf of Tjitjahuma.
The State is represented by Advocate Marthino Olivier and the accused remain in custody.