A former security company employee accused of murdering and robbing a colleague, refuses to plead to the charges he is facing.
Teodor Shipanga (47), whose trial began in the Windhoek High Court yesterday, told judge Claudia Claasen he would not plead to the three counts against him because he has not been charged and does not know anything about the charges.
Shipanga also said his constitutional rights are being violated. He was arrested unconstitutionally and is being detained unconstitutionally, he claimed.
Noting Shipanga’s stance, Claasen informed him she was recording pleas of not guilty on his behalf on all three of the charges on which he is being prosecuted.
Shipanga is charged with counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
He informed the judge on Monday that he has chosen not to be represented by a lawyer during his trial.
The state is alleging that on 11 November 2011, Shipanga murdered a fellow employee of a security company, Shain van Wyk (22), between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja by shooting him in the head with a shotgun.
Van Wyk was killed while he and Shipanga were returning to Windhoek with money they had collected at banks at Tsumeb and Otjiwarongo.
Van Wyk’s body was left in a culvert under the B1 road between Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb.
The state is also alleging that Shipanga robbed Van Wyk by stealing an amount of at least N$2,49 million and the cash-in-transit vehicle in which they were travelling.
Shipanga is alleged to have returned to Windhoek with the vehicle, which was left in the Ombili area.
It is also alleged that Shipanga removed money from the vehicle, set it on fire and left his security company uniform at the scene where the vehicle was abandoned.
About N$1,2 million that was part of the money stolen from the cash-in-transit vehicle was found hidden at the home of siblings of Shipanga in the Havana area of Windhoek on 13 November 2011, the state is alleging.
Shipanga made several appearances in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura until his case was struck off the court roll in May 2013, after a magistrate refused to grant a further postponement to await a decision of the prosecutor general in the matter.
Shipanga appeared in court again in July 2020, after the charges against him were reinstated. He is being held in custody.
State advocate Anna Amukugo is prosecuting.
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