WINDHOEK – Amos Warren Mumbone (42), who was arrested in April last year for allegedly laundering N$30 million, was declared a state patient by the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The psychiatric evaluation of Mumbone concluded that he is not fit to stand trial and as a result the court ordered that he receive treatment at hospital or prison until the President pardons him.
Mumbone, who has a long history of mental illness, was arrested after N$30 million was mysteriously deposited into his bank account at Katima Mulilo, reportedly through an ATM transaction. Mumbone was arrested on April 20 last year when staff at Standard Bank, where he has an account, became suspicious following his request for the withdrawal of N$69 000 to purchase a car.
Bank officials alerted the police commercial crimes unit about Mumbone’s N$30 million account, which led to his immediate arrest. Bank statements, transaction lists and police statements presented fresh information, with the paper trail revealing South African connections in the perplexing case that is still under police investigation.
An electronic withdrawal of just over N$3 million was traced to Johannesburg’s Midrand area, where the deposit appears to have been activated, providing traces to different accounts in South Africa.
Shortly after the electronic withdrawal, the balance of N$26.9 million was ‘reversed’ to an unknown account, leaving Mumbone with a zero balance on his bank account. The transaction took place on April 17, three days before Mumbone’s arrest.
By Tunomukwathi Asino