A resident of Känaan location in Gobabis yesterday pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and two counts of housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery.

He also denied four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and one count of kidnapping before Windhoek High Court Judge Dinnah Usiku.

Richard Kennedy Haoseb, who is conducting his own defence, after he fired three legal aid-instructed lawyers, told the judge he is not guilty of any of the offences.

With regards to the first five counts, where it is alleged that he raped two women on the same night in the same shack, and robbed them, he told the judge that he met his two alleged victims at a bar in the area that night. According to him, they came to an agreement for sex against payment and agreed on a price. However, he said, after the encounters, the women upped the price and when he could not pay the increased price, they opened phony rape charges against him. This allegedly happened at the Känaan location in Gobabis.

With regards to the other charges, he said he knows nothing about them.

According to the State, he broke into the shack of his first two victims during December 2015 while they were sleeping and held them at knifepoint demanding valuables. After the women gave him their cellphones and cash, he proceeded to rape them each. However, the third woman who was also in the shack escaped being raped by virtue of her very advanced pregnancy. He, however, allegedly also robbed her of her cellphone and cash.

Furthermore, the indictment stated Haoseb, during December 2017, again entered the shack of another two women at the Herero Block in Gobabis and threatened the inhabitants with a knife demanding their valuables. After the victims who may not be named to protect their identities gave him their cellphones, cash and other valuables, he raped them each at knifepoint, the indictment read. It further states that after he raped the two ladies, he waylaid a young girl and instructed her at knifepoint to go with him against her will to another shack where he raped her and kept her depriving her of her liberty. He denied any knowledge of these offences.

Yesterday, during his cross-examination of the police officer, who took photographs of the crime scene after the incidents, he wanted to know if the officer took any fingerprints at the scene, either on the door of the shack or the insides of the shack. The officer just indicated to the court that the surfaces of the objects in question made it impossible for him to take fingerprints. The case continues with Palmer Khumalo representing the State. Haoseb remains in custody.   

rrouth@nepc.com.na