WINDHOEK - Judge Alfred Siboleka yesterday postponed the case in which three men are accused of murder and robbery to August 14 2012 for submissions.

Accused number three, Josef Taukondjo Shikongo, now thirty-five years old, simply just followed the example of his fellow accused when he gave testimony in his own defence by denying everything.

Shikongo denied knowing any of his fellow accused personally, only consenting to know Kiimba from school, but saying that he last saw Kiimba in 2003.

When questioned by his defence counsel, Lucia Hamutenya, on what happened on the night in question, he, however, had a different story to tell.

According to him, he was in Greenwell Matongo at around eight on the night of 18 January 2007 with some papers that he wanted to copy as he was looking for work.

He apparently decided to walk to the house of Elise Shikongo, where he resided at that time, when he felt “a need to relieve himself”.

He explained that he then went to a nearby riverbed and was accosted by three men who wanted to rob him. Shikongo went on to state that fearing for his life he made a run for it, but was followed by the men.

After running for a bit he heard a gunshot ring out and when he reach the roadside where it was clear, he felt something wet on his stomach, like sweat. He told the court that when he reached inside his shirt he realised that it was blood and that he had been shot.

The accused further narrated that he managed to walk to the house of Shikongo, where he informed her that he was shot and she and a neighbour took him to hospital.

Questioned about his arrest by Hamutenya, he told the court that on the third of February 2007, he was woken by a loud knock on the door of the house he was sleeping in.

According to him he heard someone mention his name and then his landlady, Elise Shikongo and three police officers came into his room and told him he was being arrested for murder and robbery.

The police officers, including Warrant Officer Ndikoma, then led him outside.  He said Ndikoma noticed him walking awkwardly and wanted to know what had happened to him. He replied that people wanting to rob him had shot him in a riverbed.

According to the accused, Ndikoma never told the court what he (Shikongo) told him about the way in which he sustained the wound and instead lied in court.

Shikongo also denied ever giving any statements to any police officer, saying that Warrant Officer Ndikoma just brought him a stack of documents telling him to sign them.

When he arrived at the Serious Crime Unit with Ndikoma, another police officer came and took him to get his fingerprints taken.  After that was done, he was taken back to Ndikoma’s office, where he was told to sign documents that were not read or explained to him.

As with both his fellow accused in the Comet-watcher murder case, Shikongo yesterday also pleaded no knowledge of anything that happened on the fateful night Cornelius Jacobus Swiegers lost his life in a robbery.

Answering questions from his defence counsel, Lucia Hamutenya, Shikongo denied being at Goreangab Dam at around 20H00 on 18 January 2007 and taking part in the robbery that claimed the life of Swiegers.

At the time the victim was at the dam with his friend Georgivis Pierre Isaaks and his daughters, Raygene and Nicole Isaaks, to view and photograph Comet McNaught, which was said to be the brightest comet to be visible from Earth in more than 40 years.

In cross examination, Shikongo stuck to his story, even after State prosecutor Ethel Ndlovu read from testimonies given by various state witnesses, and stated that they were all liars. He added that the police officers could have made up the confession and used the testimony from the witnesses to concoct the written statements of guilt that he signed. The case continues at 10h00 on Tuesday, August 14 2012.

All three suspects remain in custody.