N$274m worth of Namdia diamonds still missing

Nearly two months after the fatal armed robbery at Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia), authorities have allegedly successfully recovered diamonds valued at N$40.6 million, a small fraction of the staggering N$314.9 million worth of diamonds stolen in the heist.Diamonds worth N$274.3 million remain unaccounted for, the company announced in a statement yesterday. The Namibian Police continue their investigation, with two suspects scheduled to appear in court on 23 May 2025.The audacious attack, which took place on 18 January 2025, shocked the nation when heavily armed suspects stormed Namdia's Windhoek headquarters, overpowered security personnel, and made off with an unprecedented amount of diamonds.The violent encounter tragically resulted in the deaths of Max Endjala and Francis “Gosh” Eiseb, a senior protection officer at Namdia. Endjala succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head, sustained during the robbery. At the time of his death, Endjala was Trustco Group’s chief operations officer for internal and forensics investigations.Security overhaul and ongoing investigationIn response to the heist, Namdia issued a statement confirming it has implemented extensive security upgrades, though specific details remain classified.“While we cannot disclose the specifics for security reasons, significant measures were put in place immediately following the incident, in line with international best practices,” stated Beverley Coussement, Namdia’s spokesperson.Coussement also confirmed that an internal investigation had been launched, resulting in the temporary suspension of CEO Alisa Amupolo, COO Uahoroka Kauta, and security manager Paulinus Sheyapo.However, Namdia asserts there is currently no evidence linking any staff members, apart from the arrested security officer, Joel Angula (45) to the crime. Angula, a former police officer, was arrested in the matter, so was former soldier Sam Shololo (45). The two men are the only persons arrested thus far.To ensure stability, the board has appointed a security consultant to oversee the implementation of security enhancements. Interim CEO Lelly Usiku is continuing to lead the company's recovery efforts.Employees return to officeIn addition to security concerns, Namdia has prioritised employee welfare. According to Coussement, staff affected by the traumatic event have been receiving both individual and group counselling.“Their well-being remains our top priority, and we are committed to providing the necessary resources for healing,” Coussement commented.After nearly six weeks of working remotely, Namdia employees returned to the office on 3 March 2025, following repairs to the premises. The company stressed its commitment to maintaining a safe and stable workplace environment.Online publication The Issue recently reported that the police and responding security companies discovered that the parastatal’s power had been cut, disabling several security functions in the building.“On the day, Endjala allegedly parked his official Trustco vehicle at a friend’s house in Windhoek, before taking the friend's car to Trustco’s offices and parking it there. He later walked to a nearby service station, where he was picked up by a vehicle, which allegedly took him to Namdia’s premises. Reports suggest that the police found Namdia’s building and floor plans in Endjala’s car, along with notes allegedly outlining the heist’s execution,” The Issue reported.Investigators believe Endjala and another suspect, Sam Shololo (45), were smuggled onto the premises in a third suspect, Joel Angula’s (45) Toyota Hilux bakkie, where they stayed for over an hour. Namibian Sun reported in January that 13 parcels of diamonds were found at the home of Angula, the Namdia security officer. At the time, 446 parcels were missing. It is not clear whether more parcels were recovered – of Namdia was referring to those allegedly found in Angula’s home.Namibian Sun also reported previously that police had begun looking into the possibility that some of their own officers, or private security guards, might have had a hand in the missing 446 diamond parcels.This, after preliminary investigations established that no suspects escaped from the scene of robbery as was initially suspected.Initial police reports had suggested that four external suspects, excluding Angula, were involved in the robbery and that two of them fled with diamonds worth hundreds of millions of dollars.Namdia itself had said at the time that “the suspects fled with an unspecified amount of diamonds, of which its value is still to be ascertained”.Plan falls apartEarly findings suggested that Angula, who arrived at the Namdia head office at 14:00 for the start of his work shift, was only in the company of Shololo and Endjala. The two men remained in Angula’s car for some time.Later, Shololo, Endjala and Angula allegedly set the robbery in motion, which resulted in the death of Angula’s supervisor at work, Francis Eiseb.Endjala, a cousin of Angula, reportedly shot himself after their robbery plan started to unravel and security agencies closed in.

N$274m worth of Namdia diamonds still missing

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-11

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N$274m worth of Namdia diamonds still missing

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-11

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