Windhoek
The criminal case in which two men were arrested last year for allegedly robbing a service station of N$170 000 last November will return to court today. Leonard Iita Niilenge, 35, and Jesaya Haule Kamulu, 36, are two of the three men currently before court. A third man is still on the run. Both face charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
In April, Niilenge was granted bail of N$20 000 and as part of his bail conditions he has to report to the Windhoek police station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and should not leave the district of Windhoek without the investigating officer’s permission.
Kamulu is still in custody. He is represented by Milton Engelbrecht from Engelbrecht Attorneys. In February, Engelbrecht had said he would approach the prosecutor’s office about making a formal bail application for his client.
In April during the last appearance, the matter was remanded for further investigations and the handing in of lab results. Kamulu was arrested in January while Niilenge, accompanied by his lawyer, handed himself over to the police last November.
At the time Chief Inspector Kauna Shikwambi, the head of police media relations, said Niilenge, who was the owner of the vehicle used in the robbery, had surrendered himself to the serious crime division. Shikwambi could not say whether Niilenge had handed over any of the stolen money. “For now I can’t confirm if he surrendered the money. Give us some time, we are busy with the investigation,” she said then. She has in the past warned the fugitive Johannes Giva Nghilifavali to surrender or face arrest.
Profiles provided by the City Police show Niilenge is a resident of Havana in Katutura and has five pending criminal cases. He has a case of robbery at Outapi, two housebreaking cases in Windhoek, a case of kidnapping and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and pointing of a firearm.
Nghilifavali is a resident of Hakahana’s Omusavati Street and has an armed robbery case pending against him, while Kamulu, a resident of Freedom Land’s Ombo Street, also has a case of armed robbery pending. At the time of the robbery the owner of the service station had fired several shots at the robbers, who hurriedly fled the scene after looting the money. No one was injured during the shootout.
The group fled the scene in a black Volkswagen Jetta that was later found abandoned after one of its tyres suffered a puncture in Hendrik Witbooi Drive behind Pionierspark along the Western Bypass. The armed gang reportedly fled from there on foot in the direction of Rocky Crest.
Mbanga Siyomunji of Siyomunji Law Chambers represented Niilenge in his bail application.