WINDHOEK – Nearly 3 000 members of the public are against the former Global Fund employee, accused of killing his former supervisor and injuring an ex-colleague at Windhoek City Centre in January, being released on bail.

The accused, Simataa Simasiku, 33, is currently appearing in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court trying to convince the court to release him on bail pending his trial. 

Prosecutor Rowan van Wyk informed the court on Wednesday that there is an online petition, signed by 2991 people, who are against Simasiku being granted bail.

The father of two has been in police custody since January 28 after he handed himself over to the police at Wanaheda Police Station shortly after the shooting of his boss Sara Mwilima and Ester Amupolo. The tragic incident happened at the offices of Global Fund on the second floor of the City Centre building in the CBD. 

Mwilima did not survive the attack and was declared dead on the scene while Amupolo, who was shot in the neck, is currently recovering. 

The prosecution is now charging Simasiku with counts of murder and attempted murder. Charges for which he intends taking a no-guilty plea.

Speaking from the witness stand before Magistrate Vanessa Stanley, Simasiku informed the court he was not a danger to society and has no intentions of fleeing and not standing trial. 

“I have not yet been found guilty and I have the right to be with my family,” said Simasiku.
Simasiku said before the court that the public’s perception about him is biased, adding that if the public knew his side of the story they would not be against him being released back into society. 

According to him, he will give his side of the story during his trial.
In his testimony Simasiku revealed that his issues with the fund started in 2015, when he got deployed to the Directorate of Primary Health Care, where he had no job description and at times felt useless, as he had no specific duties. During that year he allegedly lost his vision while out in the field on duty.

Simasiku informed the court that in 2016 he noticed that N$90 million had been linked to his First National Bank (FNB) account from the Global Fund, Geneva. Simasiku could however not access the money. 
“I believe they saw me getting weak, so they thought it would be better if they gave me money so I just stay home. I think it was out of their own goodwill,” responded Simasiku on why his employer would give him such a huge amount of money and if it was the norm at the fund.

Simasiku said he believed that his supervisor, the now deceased Mwilima, must have requested the money since he was suffering from a chronic illness and had lost his vision. 

Simasiku further testified that upon enquiring from his supervisor, he was informed that he could not access the money since the fund still needed to decide how much was due to him as N$90 million was too much.

The money was however later removed from his account.
“My supervisor told me to write a report on how I lost my sight and that it is linked to the money,” narrated Simasiku. 

Not getting satisfactory answers from his supervisor, Simasiku said, he approached the fund’s finance manager and later on the Office of the Ombudsman, who too were of no assistance to him. 
Simasiku was very reluctant to get into further details on the matter, stating that he will explain everything during his trial. Simasiku said he refused to have his contract extended with the fund which came to an end in December 2018.

Simasiku’s bail hearing is set to continue on June 11. Defence attorney Henry Shimutwikeni is appearing for Simasiku.