Rundu
The two Zimbabwean truck drivers who have been in custody since their arrest in May last year for allegedly smuggling contraband cigarettes were found guilty when they appeared in the Rundu Regional Court last Friday.
The suspects Lyson Malangiza, 35, and Trust Marudza, 46, were found guilty of contravening Section 14 (a) read with Sections 1 and 91 of the Customs and Excise Act 20 of 1998 – non-declaration of goods upon entering Namibia – as well as contravening Section 6 (c) read with Sections 1, 10 and 11 (1) of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 29 of 2014 involving money laundering.
The two were arrested last year on the evening of May 6. The two trucks they were driving were carrying 1 130 boxes of cigarettes worth N$11.3 million and the cigarettes were concealed in secret compartments in the trucks designed to transport liquefied natural gas.
The trial started on February 16, when the two pleaded not guilty to both charges. Their defence was that they had no knowledge of the consignment. They argued that the owner of the two trucks apparently said they were empty and that they should drive them to Harare and back through Namibia.
They claimed they did not know there were cigarette consignments in the trucks, as they were only in charge of driving the vehicles and that other people were responsible for loading and off-loading the trucks.
They testified in their defence after the regional court prosecutor Albert Titus cross-examined them for over two hours with a lot of questions on Friday, but they were found guilty of both charges laid against them.
The court accepted the argument of the prosecutor Titus that the two accused either knew or heard about the cigarette consignment that they carried.
The two Zimbabwean convicts will be taken from their holding cells at the Rundu charge office to the Rundu Regional Court on Thursday where they will receive their sentence.
Magistrate Desmond Beukes presided.