WINDHOEK – A security guard who admitted to stealing four Ash Black speakers from a vehicle had his plea of guilty changed to one of not guilty after he disputed the value of the stolen items in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Linus Andjamba Amulondo also disputed the vehicle in question was properly locked saying when he arrived at the vehicle one of its windows was only covered with plastic.
The State alleges Amulondo, employed as a security guard at an automotive parts dealer in Prosperita, stole the speakers worth N$18 933 out of a properly locked vehicle on October 28 while on duty.
However during questioning by Magistrate Tuvoye Nuule he disputed the value and estimated the speakers to be worth no more than N1 000. He further denied that the vehicle was locked.
“When I went to the vehicle, three doors were locked, except one where a plastic was put on the window. I went into the car, I opened the driver’s door, I found the vehicle had already been broken into, I only found the speakers. They were still in the car, connected to wires so I pulled them out and put them in a plastic bag and went home,” he confessed before Nuule.
Amulondo told Nuule that he was caught when fellow employees were told to go and search his house and found the speakers.
Public Prosecutor George Mhoney did not accept the guilty plea as to the value concerned and informed the court that the discrepancy between the estimate of Amulondo and that of the complainant is too big and indicated that he will call the complainant to testify as to the value. In the meantime, he asked that the formal admissions Amulondo made be admitted into the record and he requested for a remand to December 06 2013 for trial.
Nuule granted the request and recommended bail of N$1 500. Amulondo complained the bail amount is too steep as he can only afford to pay bail of N$500 as he is a security guard with a monthly income of N$1 400.
Nuule stuck to her guns and granted Amulondo bail of N$1 500.
By Roland Routh