Maria Amakali
Windhoek
Gabriel Tulinane David, the father charged with drowning his daughter early this year, is scheduled to tender his preliminary plea in January 2018.
David, 30, who was employed as a soldier with the Namibia Defence Force (NDF), based at Suiderhof Military Base, was arrested after his five-year-old daughter Cornelia Indileni’s body was discovered in Goreangab Dam on February 21.
Although David’s case was placed on the roll last week for him to tender his plea, the matter could not proceed as David’s lawyer was not available.
State prosecutor Victoria Thompson informed David that before his case can be sent to the prosecutor general for a decision, he (David) needs to make a preliminary plea to the charges he is accused of. The prosecutor general is yet to pronounce herself on what charges David should stand trial for and where he is to stand trial.
According to the prosecution, David unlawfully and intentionally killed his daughter Indileni. It is alleged David picked up his daughter who was left in the care of her maternal family members at Babylon informal settlement in Katutura, Windhoek.
It is further alleged that while Indileni was in the care of her father David, he deliberately drowned her and then disappeared before his arrest days later.
According to police investigations, David texted the mother of his child on what he had done to their daughter after he was allegedly done with the gruesome act.
David has denied any wrongdoing, alleging his daughter’s death was an accident. David claims the daughter accidentally slipped and fell into the dam as they were walking close to the water, and that his daughter drowned although he tried to rescue her.
“Accused, inform your lawyer of the new date, or let your family go to your lawyer and inform him,” said the magistrate Michelle Kubersky before postponing the matter to January 23, 2018.
David was remanded in custody and will remain detained at Wanaheda Police Station until his next appearance in court.