Net widens in hunt for Namdia suspects
Police, prosecutors expect more arrests
The anticipated arrests could include officers who were first at the scene of the robbery, as well as bigwigs who might have been pulling strings from afar.
Investigators in the Namdia diamond heist case have widened their scope and are confident that it is only a matter of time before new suspects are arrested, after only two people have so far been apprehended in the country’s biggest diamond robbery on record.
Their version was corroborated by State prosecutors, who yesterday told the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court that they anticipate more arrests related to the heist.
Public prosecutor Rowan van Wyk referred to these developments as part of his argument against granting bail to Sam Shololo, one of the two men arrested in connection with the high-profile 18 January robbery at Namdia.
Sources say a total of 446 diamond parcels are still missing, with only 13 traced so far to the house of Shololo’s co-accused, Joel Angula, a Namdia security officer.
An alleged accomplice on the day, Max Endjala, reportedly died after he inflicted fatal injuries upon himself as the robbery plan began to fall apart, with police closing in.
A police source yesterday told Namibian Sun: “It’s a very broad investigation, looking at several elements, and there are likely to be more arrests in the coming days.”
Shololo, an ex-soldier, was denied bail yesterday in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court by magistrate Olga Muharukua. Shololo made his maiden court appearance yesterday, without a lawyer at his side, after being discharged from hospital on 21 January, where he was recovering from injuries sustained during the robbery.
He was denied bail following opposition from prosecutor Van Wyk, who told the court that efforts are still underway to locate outstanding suspects in the case.
Investigation continues
Last week, Namibian Sun, citing impeccable police sources, reported that preliminary police investigations have established that there were no suspects who fled the scene, as initially reported.
These findings resulted in police investigating their own officers and security guards from a private company that arrived at the scene first. Investigators are looking into whether security officers might have played a role in the disappearance of the missing 446 diamond parcels.
“No one escaped from the scene, so the version that some robbers took the missing diamonds is no longer being entertained. It’s either that Angula took all the missing parcels and hid the majority of them elsewhere, or someone else from the police or security company stole them,” a source said last week.
Angula, a former police officer, and former military man Shololo are both charged with counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, robbery and possession of rough and uncut diamonds.
Van Wyk also emphasised the seriousness of the charges and expressed concerns that releasing the accused could obstruct ongoing investigations, interfere with witnesses and undermine both public interest and the administration of justice. The court has postponed the case to 23 May 23 to allow for further investigations and for Shololo to apply for legal aid.
Their version was corroborated by State prosecutors, who yesterday told the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court that they anticipate more arrests related to the heist.
Public prosecutor Rowan van Wyk referred to these developments as part of his argument against granting bail to Sam Shololo, one of the two men arrested in connection with the high-profile 18 January robbery at Namdia.
Sources say a total of 446 diamond parcels are still missing, with only 13 traced so far to the house of Shololo’s co-accused, Joel Angula, a Namdia security officer.
An alleged accomplice on the day, Max Endjala, reportedly died after he inflicted fatal injuries upon himself as the robbery plan began to fall apart, with police closing in.
A police source yesterday told Namibian Sun: “It’s a very broad investigation, looking at several elements, and there are likely to be more arrests in the coming days.”
Shololo, an ex-soldier, was denied bail yesterday in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court by magistrate Olga Muharukua. Shololo made his maiden court appearance yesterday, without a lawyer at his side, after being discharged from hospital on 21 January, where he was recovering from injuries sustained during the robbery.
He was denied bail following opposition from prosecutor Van Wyk, who told the court that efforts are still underway to locate outstanding suspects in the case.
Investigation continues
Last week, Namibian Sun, citing impeccable police sources, reported that preliminary police investigations have established that there were no suspects who fled the scene, as initially reported.
These findings resulted in police investigating their own officers and security guards from a private company that arrived at the scene first. Investigators are looking into whether security officers might have played a role in the disappearance of the missing 446 diamond parcels.
“No one escaped from the scene, so the version that some robbers took the missing diamonds is no longer being entertained. It’s either that Angula took all the missing parcels and hid the majority of them elsewhere, or someone else from the police or security company stole them,” a source said last week.
Angula, a former police officer, and former military man Shololo are both charged with counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, robbery and possession of rough and uncut diamonds.
Van Wyk also emphasised the seriousness of the charges and expressed concerns that releasing the accused could obstruct ongoing investigations, interfere with witnesses and undermine both public interest and the administration of justice. The court has postponed the case to 23 May 23 to allow for further investigations and for Shololo to apply for legal aid.
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