WINDHOEK – A witness in the H.A.M.S Security Services murder and robbery trial says Willem Kawulefelwa Valombola was in his company on the day the armed robbery and murder took place.
Hieronymus Ages told Judge Naomi Shivute he and Valombola – the number one accused – were working together at Menoruvando industrial stalls in Katutura where he is a panel-beater and Valombola was employed as an auto-electrician.
According to him, he arrived at his stall at around 08h00 on November 02, 2009 where he found Valombola who asked him to fit a windscreen onto a red Toyota Corolla sedan. He said he and Valombola then drove off to a vehicle spares shop in the red Corolla to buy the windscreen and some bearings for the alternator of the vehicle.
When they arrived at the shop, he said, the clerks wanted a sample of the bearings and they removed the alternator from the vehicle.
The shop however did not have the bearings they needed and Valombola went in a taxi to another outlet, leaving him with the vehicle.
He said Valombola then stayed away for about an hour “or so” but returned with the bearings.
They then went back to the stall where he took his vehicle and went to fetch his child from daycare. He told the court that he was already “late” as he was supposed to collect his child at 12h00 but by then it was almost 13h00.
The witness said Valombola owned a silver BMW but that it was broken “for a long time”.
During cross-examination State Advocate Ethel Ndlovu wanted to know from Ages why he only “now” came forward with his story.
“Why are we only now hearing from you?” she wanted to know and flat-out told Ages that he fabricated the story to save his friend.
Ndlovu further wanted to know from Ages whether he knew what Valombola was arrested for, to which he answered that he only came to know about the charges “the following week”.
She then asked him if he knew at what police station Valombola was being detained and when he answered that he knew, she inquired why he did not go to the police to tell the investigating officer that Valombola was in his company on the day of the robbery.
Ages answered that he told Valombola’s brother to inform Valombola that he was willing to testify that they were in each other’s company on that day, but that nobody approached him until he was asked to testify in court.
“I put it to you, Sir, that all of this is a fabrication and that you were not together with accused one on that day,” Ndlovu put it to the witness.
Valombola’s counsel, Christiaan Nambahu, then closed the defence’s case.
Judge Shivute informed the court she was going on long leave until September. The case will now resume on March 24.
Valombola (45), Toivo Kashipolo (39) and Fillipus Shishiveni Nomongula (40) face one count of murder, one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of attempted murder, one count of possessing a firearm without a licence and one count of illegal possession of ammunition.
The charges are in connection with an armed robbery carried out at the premises of H.A.M.S Security Services and the killing of its owner Andries Petrus de Jager.
Valombola is out on bail of N3 000, while his co-accused are in custody.
By Roland Routh