THE Senior Pastor of the Victory Church in the Mutengo Village near Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West Region, Prophet Engelbrecht Hautenya, has been arrested on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
The pastor had been on the run since Tuesday after three of his congregants died as a result of “medicine” being introduced to their bodies through their anal orifices via a tube.
According to the Public Relations Division of the Namibian Police, Pastor Hamutenya was traced to the Kurukuvisa Village in the Kavango East Region on Wednesday, where he was still busy administering more of the deadly concoction to other congregants of his church.
The pastor was declared a fugitive from the law after the 37-year-old Ndumba Evaristus Ntamba, the 45-year-old Ndumba Robertha Nangombe, and the 21-year-old Simbaranda Hilka Kapango died on Tuesday.
A 39-year-old woman has been admitted to the Nankundu State Hospital in a critical condition after she too was subjected to the so-called treatment during a “healing ceremony”.
The injury of the woman and the death of three other congregants of the Victory Church occurred after the order to use the concoction allegedly came from Hamutenya.
The victims had a mixture of salt, vinegar, and methylated spirits pumped into their bodies by an assistant pastor of the church.
According to the arrest report, the condition of the woman who was admitted to the Nankundu State Hospital has not changed.
Hamutenya and his assistant pastor are set to appear on charges of murder and attempted murder in the Kahenge Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
