The City of Windhoek has started investigating circumstances which led to three suspects gaining entrance to the municipality’s fire department before disappearing with a Toyota Landcruiser pickup during the wee hours of Saturday. City spokesperson Harold Akwenye said the trio were caught on CCTV footage at around 03h00 entering the fire department’s offices before leaving with the vehicle 15 minutes later.
“We have arrested one suspect that was found on the scene. Two suspects fled from the scene when they were chased by the Namibian Police and City Police after they lost control of the vehicle. But the one who is arrested will eventually tell the police how they got access to the keys,” he said. The vehicle was discovered Saturday afternoon after it rammed into a container in the Greenwell Matongo area. Sources at the city suspect an inside job led to the theft of the car. To that, Akwenye said investigations will determine the exact circumstances which led to the car being stolen.
According to Akwenye, the suspects, who were under the influence of alcohol, were not part of the fire brigade department. A Windhoek resident at the weekend bemoaned the incident, saying the vehicle was critical in responding to emergency matters, including shack fires in the informal settlements. “They lost control of the vehicle and crashed it, destroying this vehicle which has served the community,” he said.