Appeal in German flight instructor's death sees another delay

10 Nov 2017 17:00pm
WINDHOEK, 10 NOV (NAMPA) - An appeal by Rundu resident, Joseph Wasuka Nunda, who was convicted of robbing and murdering a German flight instructor here in 2005, will be heard in the High Court early next.
Nunda, 37, was on 19 June 2014 sent to jail for 20 years along with Dumingu Zuzee da Costa by High Court Judge Nate Ndauendapo for the death of Ralph Köhnke, 34.
Nunda returned to the Windhoek High Court on Friday with an urgent appeal application, asking the court to reduce his custodial sentence, saying there was some misdirection by the court in judgement and sentencing.
His case was remanded until 19 January 2018 by the same judge to allow the convict's privately-instructed defence lawyer, Advocate Wiennie Christiaans, to provide the court with all the documents needed for the hearing of the appeal bid.
Furthermore, Christiaans was also requested by the court to file an application of condonation in which he will explain in detail the reasons why his client brought the appeal application before court very late, because he was supposed to lodge the appeal within the prescribed 14 days after the sentence was handed down.
State Advocate Innocentia Nyoni appeared for prosecution Friday.
Both men were found guilty of murder with direct intention to kill, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating or obstructing the course of justice, or alternatively violating a dead human body by setting Köhnke alight shortly after killing him.
Köhnke's burned remains were found in the Goreangab Dam area in Katutura on 29 December 2005.
He was struck on the head with a brick or another object and died due to skull fracture.
After Köhnke was killed, Nunda and Da Costa loaded his body into a car, transported it to an area near the dam and set the body on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The two men also stole goods including computer equipment, tools, a safe, two firearms and an unknown amount of money in cash from Köhnke's house after his death.