A superintendent responsible for the section where murder accused Marcus Thomas is held at the Windhoek Correctional Facility told the court yesterday the American never disclosed to them a letter in which a private doctor recommended for him to be put in isolation pending a Covid-19 test.
Superintendent Elikan Nghitoolwa informed Windhoek High Court Judge Christie Liebenberg that Thomas went to see Dr Edmand Munatsi on 3 September in a private capacity, but that he never revealed to him or any other correctional officer that the medical doctor recommended either a Covid-19 test or self-isolation.
The first time he heard about a letter the doctor provided was when he was contacted by the investigating officer on Monday, he further stated.
According to the superintendent, Thomas never complained to him that he suffers from Covid-related symptoms.
He further said his section houses 66 trial awaiting inmates and that none of them has had any symptoms as far as his knowledge stretches. Munatsi told the court when he saw Thomas on 3 September, he showed no Covid-19 symptoms.
However, because Thomas has an underlying condition of bronchial distress, the doctor said he found it necessary to recommend to the prison authorities that he should be isolated, as he complained of having been in contact with suspected cases.
He further said that even though everything was normal when he examined Thomas, he regarded him as a high-risk case and had recommended for him to be swabbed for the virus at a private facility.
Since Thomas did not have the necessary funds to pay for the tests, the doctor said, he completed the forms and was waiting for Thomas to avail the funds before he would send him to be tested.
However, that never happened, the doctor stated. Thomas and his fellow countryman Kevan Townsend are accused of the assassin-like murder of Andre Heckmair in Windhoek in 2011.
Thomas and Townsend are accused of killing Heckmair with a single gunshot in the back of his head on 7 January 2011 and robbing him of his cellphone and wallet containing at least 100 Swiss francs.
The matter proceeded yesterday afternoon and will continue today.
Thomas is represented by Braam Cupido on instructions from Legal Aid and Townsend by Mbanga Siyomunji on private instruction.
- rrouth@nepc.com.na