The 47-year-old commercial farmer accused of shooting dead a suspected poacher on his farm in the Otavi District, made his first court appearance at Otavi on Monday.
Calvin Mahoshi appeared before acting magistrate Meriam Xamises on a count of murder.
According to the charge sheet seen by Nampa, Xamises had explained to Mahoshi his legal rights by either applying for a State-funded lawyer through the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Aid Department; representing himself in court, or engaging the legal services of a private lawyer.
Mahoshi opted for a private lawyer.
His case was then postponed to 11 August 2023 for police investigations, and he was remanded in police custody.
Prosecutor Eveline Kalunga represented the State.
Mahoshi was arrested on Sunday after he allegedly shot and killed the 43-year-old Saul Gariseb on Saturday in an alleged exchange of gunfire on his private game farm.
The Namibian Police Force’s head of community affairs in the Otjozondjupa Region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha on Monday told Nampa it is alleged that Mahoshi and an employee of his were on Saturday patrolling the farm around 18h00 when they came across three pairs of suspicious shoe prints.
The two followed the shoe prints for a distance, and around 19h00 they allegedly spotted a man who was fleeing from them entering a thick bush.
The fleeing man allegedly opened gunfire on them as he entered the bush, Mbeha said.
The farmer, who was also armed, shot twice while the fleeing man who now was taken for a poacher by Mahoshi, kept on firing, added Mbeha.
“The exchange of fire continued until it was dark on Saturday, and Mahoshi and his employee returned to the farm house,” she said.
On Sunday morning at about 08h00, the two men went back to the scene and came across the lifeless body of Gariseb, who had sustained serious head injuries.
Snare wires were also allegedly found on his body, said the police officer.
The other two alleged accomplices of Gariseb are the 48-year-old Josef Geiseb and Helmut Nanwandi, 42, who also appeared in court at Otavi on Monday on trespassing charges.
The duo pleaded guilty and was fined N.dollars 1 000 each on the trespassing charge.
According to Mbeha the firearm suspected to have been used in the shooting of Gariseb was seized from Mahoshi along with four empty cartridges from his gun which were found on the scene.
Mbeha on Tuesday further explained that the hunting rifle which Gariseb, Geiseb and Nanwandi were using, was found on Monday not far from where Gariseb died.
Police investigations continue.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
