Police under investigation for Namdia’s missing 446 diamond parcels
Private security firm also under microscope
In a new twist, investigations have so far established that no suspects fled the scene as initially reported, placing security officers who attended the scene under scrutiny.
Police have 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 at Namdia after preliminary investigations established that no suspects escaped from the scene of Saturday’s robbery as initially suspected.
Namibian Sun understands that 13 parcels were found at the home of Namdia security officer Joel Angula, but, as of yesterday afternoon, 446 more were still missing.
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.
On Sunday, Namdia said “the suspects fled with an unspecified amount of diamonds, of which its value is still to be ascertained”.
A joint press conference by Namdia and the Namibian Police, which was slated for yesterday, has been indefinitely postponed.
After the arrest of Sam Shololo and the death of Max Endjala, who allegedly shot himself as police closed in on him, it was reported that two of their accomplices had managed to escape – a version that preliminary investigations have now discounted.
Plan falls apart
Early findings now suggest 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, who 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.
Piecing together the puzzle
A source said: “The initial suspicion that two suspects managed to escape has been eliminated completely through the preliminary investigation. The robbers were only three – namely Shololo, Endjala and Angula.”
With 446 parcels still missing and new evidence suggesting that no suspect escaped from the scene, police have begun exploring various scenarios to determine who might have taken the missing 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,” the source said.
“The scene was largely unguarded for a long time, so it was easy for those who arrived there first to steal the parcels without anyone seeing them.
“The scene was not protected – the entire scene had no protection – and it was dark. So the question now is, did anyone from the police force or the private security company that arrived at the scene first steal the missing parcels? As matters stand, we don’t know who took the diamonds,” the source noted.
“One of the ways now to profile suspects is to look at the lifestyles of those who attended the scene, and then we take it from there.”
Most of the Namdia employees allegedly held at gunpoint and knifepoint by the suspects during the robbery were predominantly women, making them some of the least likely suspects in regards to the missing parcels, police believe.
Angula in the dock, Shololo bedridden
Meanwhile, Angula, who is a former police officer, made his first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court yesterday, charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, robbery and possession of rough and uncut diamonds.
A visibly shaken Angula appeared before magistrate Olga Muharukua, who denied him bail.
State prosecutor Rowan van Wyk opposed bail being granted, citing the severity of the charges against Angula, and that his release would not be in the interest of the public.
Angula’s lawyer, Rejoice Sakeus, has indicated her intention to file a formal bail application on behalf of her client soon. The case was postponed to 23 May to allow for further investigations.
Shololo remains under police surveillance while receiving medical treatment in the Katutura State Hospital for injuries sustained during the robbery. He faces similar charges as Angula and is expected to appear in court once he has recovered from his injuries.
Namibian Sun understands that 13 parcels were found at the home of Namdia security officer Joel Angula, but, as of yesterday afternoon, 446 more were still missing.
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.
On Sunday, Namdia said “the suspects fled with an unspecified amount of diamonds, of which its value is still to be ascertained”.
A joint press conference by Namdia and the Namibian Police, which was slated for yesterday, has been indefinitely postponed.
After the arrest of Sam Shololo and the death of Max Endjala, who allegedly shot himself as police closed in on him, it was reported that two of their accomplices had managed to escape – a version that preliminary investigations have now discounted.
Plan falls apart
Early findings now suggest 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, who 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.
Piecing together the puzzle
A source said: “The initial suspicion that two suspects managed to escape has been eliminated completely through the preliminary investigation. The robbers were only three – namely Shololo, Endjala and Angula.”
With 446 parcels still missing and new evidence suggesting that no suspect escaped from the scene, police have begun exploring various scenarios to determine who might have taken the missing 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,” the source said.
“The scene was largely unguarded for a long time, so it was easy for those who arrived there first to steal the parcels without anyone seeing them.
“The scene was not protected – the entire scene had no protection – and it was dark. So the question now is, did anyone from the police force or the private security company that arrived at the scene first steal the missing parcels? As matters stand, we don’t know who took the diamonds,” the source noted.
“One of the ways now to profile suspects is to look at the lifestyles of those who attended the scene, and then we take it from there.”
Most of the Namdia employees allegedly held at gunpoint and knifepoint by the suspects during the robbery were predominantly women, making them some of the least likely suspects in regards to the missing parcels, police believe.
Angula in the dock, Shololo bedridden
Meanwhile, Angula, who is a former police officer, made his first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court yesterday, charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, robbery and possession of rough and uncut diamonds.
A visibly shaken Angula appeared before magistrate Olga Muharukua, who denied him bail.
State prosecutor Rowan van Wyk opposed bail being granted, citing the severity of the charges against Angula, and that his release would not be in the interest of the public.
Angula’s lawyer, Rejoice Sakeus, has indicated her intention to file a formal bail application on behalf of her client soon. The case was postponed to 23 May to allow for further investigations.
Shololo remains under police surveillance while receiving medical treatment in the Katutura State Hospital for injuries sustained during the robbery. He faces similar charges as Angula and is expected to appear in court once he has recovered from his injuries.
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