By: Kelvin Chiringa
Inspector-General of the Namibian police Sebastian Ndeitunga has disclosed that South African authorities went silent after being asked whether a crime had been reported in connection with a robbery at Ramaphosa’s farm.
This is after the Namibian police had successfully secured a preservation order to confiscate assets of the alleged Ramaphosa robbery masterminds suspected to have been proceeds of a crime.
Due to the lack of response from South Africa, the assets were released, Ndeitunga has said.
Before that, he said the Namibian police had identified individuals, bank accounts and various properties, including lodges, houses and vehicles suspected to have been bought with proceeds of crime and consulted the Office of the Prosecutor General to consider a preservation order of assets.
“A preservation order was issued, and a formal request was made through the ministry of justice to South Africa to confirm whether or not a crime was registered in South Africa. However, no response was received from South African authorities, resulting in the cancellation of the preservation order and release of assets,” Ndeitunga disclosed.
The police boss has also admitted that two police authorities met in no-man’s land near Noordoewer to share operational information pertaining to Imanuwela David and other Namibian nationals accused of robbing Ramaphosa.
He said the meeting aligned with Covid-19 measures, and a resolution was taken to launch separate investigations.
Ndeitunga has at long last broken his almost tangible silence by coming to deny ever doing any dirty work for South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.
The I.G has been missing in action while his police service was being dragged in the mud and connected to reports of a cover-up of criminal activities on the farm of Ramaphosa in South Africa.
He also refuted allegations of torture and abduction of Imanuwela David and that a joint investigation is underway between the Namibian Police and the South African law enforcement agents.
Ndeitunga has bashed recent media reports saying they erode the trust of Namibians in the police.
“These undesirable comments are noted on social media as well as in newspapers, and these comments have the potential to erode public confidence in the Namibian Police Force, as it could be understood to mean that the force is entrusted with the responsibility of upholding the law and protecting the rights of all citizens indeed has failed to act in accordance with the laws and to disseminate accurate information in the case of Mr Imanuwela David,” he said.
Ndeitunga stamped that David was arrested and charged as per fur process.
Ndeitunga has provided what he called the sequence of events that followed David’s illegal entry into Namibia on 12 June 2020 through an ungazetted entry point near Noordoewer by a canoe.
He said David was assisted by a police officer, Sergeant Hendrick Hidipo Nghede, attached to the Tourism Protection Sub-Division in Luderitz, and Fishcor’s acting boss, Paulus Ngalangi.
They then drove to Windhoek in Ngalangi’s BMW X5 and arrived at midnight, with David spending the night in Rocky Crest at No.18 Faith City Flats apartment, he said.
Ndeitunga said that the following day, David was arrested at Hotel 77 Independence Avenue on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act, Act 7 of 1993 and the State Emergency regulations that were in place.
He said David was also found in possession of N$300, US$1 100 notes, a TAG Hauer watch worth N$28 000, a Rolex watch worth N$280 000, a gold chain worth N$163 000 and four cellphones.
He was then subjected to a Covid-19 test and came out positive, got detained and quarantined at the Hosea Kutako International Airport police station holding cells, said the I.G.
David was then sent to Noordoewer for his court appearance, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to declare his goods.
He was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to a fine of N$5 000 or a year’s prison term for the first count of contravening the immigration laws.
He was sentenced to N$15 000 or two years of prison on count two, contravening the Customs and Excise Act, Act 20 of 1998.
“Mr Imanuwela David ultimately paid a fine of N$20 000 n respect of his sentence and was released on the same day. A 48 hours notice was issued to him by immigration officials to leave the country, and he subsequently left Namibia via Noordoewer border post on 14 November 2020 at about 08H00,” said Ndeitunga.
He said the other accused, Ngalangi, the Fishcor acting boss and Sgt. Nghede were also arrested, charged and pleaded guilty to contravening sections of the Immigration Control Act, aiding and abetting an illegal immigrant, and contravening the ACC Act.
