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THE long-running trial of three men charged with having been involved in the murder of a stock theft investigator in the Omaheke region nearly 10 years ago is set to stay stalled in the Windhoek High Court, due to an attempt by one of the accused to get the trial judge to step down from the case.

Defence lawyer Salomo Kan­yemba, representing murder accused Stockley Kauejao, informed acting judge Alfred Siboleka yesterday he was ready to petition the Supreme Court to ask that Kauejao be permitted to appeal against a ruling in which Siboleka refused to recuse himself from Kauejao’s trial.

This is after Siboleka nearly two weeks ago turned down an application by Kauejao and a co-accused, Muvare Kaporo, for permission to appeal against his refusal to recuse himself from their trial.

The judge also refused a request from Kauejao to have his bail reinstated.

Siboleka cancelled Kauejao’s bail in October last year and ordered that he should be held in custody from then on, after saying that Kauejao was using “every trick at his disposal” to prevent his trial from proceeding while he was free on bail.

Kauejao and three co-accused – Kaporo, Matheu Kakururume and Afas Kamutjemo – went on trial in September 2015, when they denied guilt on charges of stock theft and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

Kauejao, Kakururume and Kaporo are also charged with murder, to which they pleaded not guilty as well.

The prosecution is alleging that the four men stole 15 head of cattle in the Gobabis district during December 2012.

The theft of the cattle was allegedly planned by Kauejao and Kamutjemo, and Kakururume and Kaporo were asked to help carry out that crime.

After the owner of the cattle had asked a stock theft investigator, Wilfred Kazeurua (55), to help investigate the theft, Kauejao, Kakururume and Kaporo, acting with a common purpose, decided to kill Kazeurua, the prosecution is charging.

Kakururume and Kaporo allegedly murdered Kazeurua on 28 December 2012 by strangling and suffocating him at the farm where Kaporo was employed in the Gobabis district.

Kazeurua’s pickup was set on fire after he had been killed, and his body was also burned and buried, the court has heard during the trial.

Kauejao was in custody for more than three years before Siboleka granted him bail in an amount of N$15 000 in July 2016.

The judge cancelled his bail and had him placed back in custody after he had been free on bail for five years.

Kakururume and Kaporo are also in custody. Kamutjemo is free on bail.

The four men are scheduled to make a next appearance in the High Court on 2 December, after Siboleka yesterday postponed their case to await the outcome of Kauejao’s petition to the Supreme Court.