Trial of Namibia's Phala Phala trio set for May 2025 Francoise Steynberg WINDHOEK
The trial of three individuals with Namibian connections, accused of allegedly stealing US dollars from South African president Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm, is scheduled to start next year.
The Namibians – Floriana Joseph (30), her brother Ndilinasho Joseph (27), and Imanuwela David (39) – briefly appeared in the Modimolle Regional Court in Limpopo on Tuesday.
They face charges of theft, housebreaking with intent to steal, and conspiracy to steal.
David also faces a charge of money laundering under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for allegedly using some of the stolen money to purchase a house worth nearly N$1 million in Rustenburg, where his mother resides.
David is a South African citizen but has close relatives in Namibia. He allegedly smuggled N$7 million into Namibia after crossing the Orange River in a canoe on 12 June 2020, entering the country illegally.
He was arrested two days later on Independence Avenue in Windhoek for breaking immigration control laws and violating Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
After pleading guilty to the immigration law offences, David was deported to South Africa in November 2021.
Floriana Joseph, a former temporary domestic worker at Phala Phala, and her brother were arrested last year, after which the three accused appeared in the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court.
The Josephs were released on bail, but David, believed to be the mastermind behind the robbery, remains in custody.
The trio allegedly stole US$580 000 in cash in February 2020. The money was reportedly hidden in couches on Ramaphosa’s game farm near Bela-Bela in Limpopo.
Earlier this year, the case was transferred to the Regional Court in Modimolle. Their trial is scheduled for May next year.
According to South African media, the state plans to call 23 witnesses to testify in the trial, expected to last three weeks.
– [email protected]
NEXT YEAR: Imanuwela David, Froliana Joseph and her brother Ndilinasho Joseph during a court appearance in Bela-Bela earlier this year.
The Namibians – Floriana Joseph (30), her brother Ndilinasho Joseph (27), and Imanuwela David (39) – briefly appeared in the Modimolle Regional Court in Limpopo on Tuesday.
They face charges of theft, housebreaking with intent to steal, and conspiracy to steal.
David also faces a charge of money laundering under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for allegedly using some of the stolen money to purchase a house worth nearly N$1 million in Rustenburg, where his mother resides.
David is a South African citizen but has close relatives in Namibia. He allegedly smuggled N$7 million into Namibia after crossing the Orange River in a canoe on 12 June 2020, entering the country illegally.
He was arrested two days later on Independence Avenue in Windhoek for breaking immigration control laws and violating Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
After pleading guilty to the immigration law offences, David was deported to South Africa in November 2021.
Floriana Joseph, a former temporary domestic worker at Phala Phala, and her brother were arrested last year, after which the three accused appeared in the Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court.
The Josephs were released on bail, but David, believed to be the mastermind behind the robbery, remains in custody.
The trio allegedly stole US$580 000 in cash in February 2020. The money was reportedly hidden in couches on Ramaphosa’s game farm near Bela-Bela in Limpopo.
Earlier this year, the case was transferred to the Regional Court in Modimolle. Their trial is scheduled for May next year.
According to South African media, the state plans to call 23 witnesses to testify in the trial, expected to last three weeks.
– [email protected]
NEXT YEAR: Imanuwela David, Froliana Joseph and her brother Ndilinasho Joseph during a court appearance in Bela-Bela earlier this year.
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