A 28-year-old man on Friday admitted he murdered and robbed his former Chinese employer and that he burned some of the victim’s belongings in an effort to defeat the ends of justice.
Tuhafeni Tomas pleaded guilty to charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating or obstructing the course of justice when he appeared before Windhoek High Court Judge Naomi Shivute. He is accused of murdering Yanhui Sun, a Chinese national, who had a brickmaking factory in Rehoboth on 1 May last year by beating him with a brick on his head, stabbing him three times on his head, neck and back – and tying his legs to his arms.
He also admitted to stuffing cloth in the mouth of the victim.
He further admitted he robbed Sun of N$3 000 in cash, a cell phone and two SIM cards, a wallet, a black pocketbook, ATM bank card and a driving licence. Tomas also admitted he destroyed or damaged the wallet, clothes and a pair of boots of the victim.
He also threw away the brick with which he hit the victim, together with the cell phone and two SIM cards, the identity document and ATM bank card of the victim.
This he did to frustrate or interfere in the investigations into the death and robbery of the victim and to conceal or destroy evidence of an assault on the victim, as well as to protect him from being prosecuted, Tomas also admitted. The State accepted the plea and Tomas was consequently convicted on his admissions.
According to the indictment, Tomas was a former employee of the victim who had a brickmaking business in Rehoboth and that he resigned from his employment in March 2019.
On 1 May 2019, the indictment read, Tomas went to the business of the victim, where he was busy working in the office.
Prior to entering the office, Tomas shifted the surveillance cameras on the premises to avoid detection and then entered the victim’s office, armed with a brick, and hit him on the head, whereafter he stabbed and gagged him.
It is further alleged that Tomas then tied the victim’s hands and legs together and gagged him by stuffing a cloth into his mouth.
Tomas then robbed the victim of the items mentioned and fled the scene.
The victim died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the attack.
The matter will return to court today and Tomas was remanded in custody at the Windhoek Correctional Facility’s section for trial awaiting inmates after his warning was cancelled.
He is represented by Vernon Lutibezi on instructions of legal aid and the State by Ethel Ndlovu.