Probe to establish if Endjala killed Eiseb

Investigations into Saturday’s robbery at Namdia, Namibia’s state-owned diamond marketing company, have expanded to include whether Max Endjala, who allegedly shot himself at the scene to avoid arrest, may have killed company security supervisor Francis Eiseb.

Police reported that Eiseb was discovered dead in a storeroom, his hands and legs tied, his face covered with a shopping bag, and a gunshot wound to the head.

Endjala reportedly shot himself as police closed in on him and other suspects involved in the robbery. However, Trustco Group Holdings, Endjala’s employer, added a twist to the narrative yesterday by stating in a press release that he “was tragically killed” during the robbery.

A source yesterday claimed: “Police are now investigating whether Eiseb was killed with the gun that Endjala used to kill himself. It’s a very easy fact to establish through forensic tests.”

The wider investigation into the robbery is jointly led by the Namibian Police’s serious crime investigation sub-division and the protected resources division. They are assisted by the criminal investigation directorate (CID) and the police intelligence division.

As of yesterday, investigators were yet to review the CCTV footage of Saturday’s deadly drama, while a warrant was being prepared for mobile network operator MTC to provide data related to communication between the suspects and other accomplices.

'Self-motivated' suspect

Endjala’s cousin, Joel Angula, a security officer at Namdia who was on duty during the robbery, was arrested on Sunday after long hours of interrogations. Angula is a former police officer. He was set to be formally charged yesterday, together with Sam Shololo – one of the four suspects who stormed the building on Saturday.

Among the four, only Shololo was arrested, as two other suspects fled the scene, while Endjala took his own life. Shololo is a former member of the Namibian Defence Force who describes himself on LinkedIn as an “experienced training officer with a demonstrated history of working in the security and investigations industry”.

He also describes himself on the business and employment-focused social media platform as a “a positive, independent and self-motivated person [who] has the ability to learn new procedures and skills quickly and efficiently”.

Shololo was injured during his arrest and is currently under police guard at the Katutura State Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.

Scene of the crime

Namibian Sun reported yesterday that the suspects were allegedly targeting a huge consignment of diamonds, reportedly worth about N$700 million, which the company was scheduled to sell to clients on Monday. The two suspects who evaded arrest escaped with an unknown quantity of diamonds, Namdia confirmed in a statement.

According to a statement from Namdia, the two suspects who evaded arrest escaped with an unknown quantity of diamonds.

According to a source close to the investigation, the robbery was meticulously planned, with the suspects aware of the high-value consignment. "Namdia was preparing for a significant sale scheduled for Monday [today]. The reason why so many employees were working late on Saturday was to finalise preparations for the big sale on Monday,” the source said.

The sale has since been called off. An official said yesterday: “The remaining diamonds will be used as exhibits in the criminal investigation, so they cannot be sold anytime soon. In fact, the entire Namdia building is now being treated as a crime scene for investigative purposes.”

The police and Namdia will hold a joint press conference at a date and place yet to be confirmed, police said yesterday.