Accused man stays in custody in Okakarara murder case
An Angolan national remains in custody after appearing in the Okakarara Magistrate’s Court on Friday in connection with the alleged murder of his girlfriend.
The body of Siegfriedine Tjihenuna (36) was found on 13 May, buried behind the house of Lucas Shitaleni (35), in a shallow grave.
Shitaleni appeared before magistrate Abel Sankwasa on charges of murder, concealment of death and defeating the course of justice.
Prosecutor Nguvitjita Mujoro, who represented the state, strongly objected to granting Shitaleni bail, citing the seriousness of the matter and the early stage of the police investigation.
Shitaleni, who opted to defend himself, is remanded in custody and his case has been postponed to 6 August.
Police head of community affairs in the region senior inspector Maureen Mbeha says Tjihenuna was reported missing on 12 May, after she was last seen between 29 April and 12 May at Okarui village in the Okakarara area.
“Her relatives reported her missing on 12 May, and a file was opened at the Okakarara Police Station on the same day,” she says.
An investigation team was formed and a search commenced. Information emerged that Tjihenuna was last seen with Shitaleni on 29 April. When confronted, Shitaleni, however, denied this.
“On 13 May, a team of police officers, accompanied by the deceased’s family members, searched the victim’s village and the suspect’s house, where approximately 200m from the suspect’s residence, the decomposed body of a woman buried in a shallow grave was found,” Mbeha says.
Relatives identified the body as that of Tjihenuna.
Shitaleni was charged on Thursday.
Hundreds of Okakarara residents on Friday handed over a petition to Mujoro, opposing bail for Shitaleni. They said he also has a pending stock theft case at Otjituuo.
Police investigations into both matters are ongoing.
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