Windhoek
One of the two remaining accused in one of the biggest cash heists in Namibian history denied any involvement in the crime when he took the witness stand yesterday.
Jan Julius who was the driver of the targeted cash-in-transit vehicle of Fidelity Cash Management Services was testifying in his own defence after he was put on his defence after the close of the State’s case.
Judge Naomi Shivute found in February 2014 that Julius and a co-accused George Jambeinge had a case to answer after the defence asked for a Rule 174 discharge.
After Deputy Prosecutor General Anita Meyer conceded that the State failed to prove the allegations against another four of the co-accused, the judge acquitted Benedictus Kasimbingwe, Elitana Nghimwena, Mateus Hauwanga and Jason Awene.
When the trial resumed yesterday almost two years after the Rule 174 verdict, Julius opted to testify.
He told the court that he and his co-driver, Stefanus Iyambo, used to pick up hitch-hikers to augment their income.
On December 29, 2004 it was business as usual and they diverted from their normal route in search of hitch-hikers, he said.
They happened upon Awene, who was allegedly looking for a lift to Swakopmund and they agreed on a fee of N$50.
While they were driving for a while – he could not say how far or how long – he suddenly noticed that Iyambo was struggling with the hitch-hiker.
When he stopped the vehicle he noticed a white Toyota Corolla had stopped close to them and people with firearms disembared.
The persons then gun-pointed him and instructed him to open the safes where the money was held and he obliged.
He further said that a small safe in the driver’s compartment which held the keys to the other safes was not padlocked as usual and he took out the keys and opened the safes and took out the plastic bags with the money.
He further testified that when the police arrived at the scene he was severely assaulted by them.
According to Julius, the police accused him of being an accomplice to the robbery and wanted to know the names of his accomplices and their whereabouts, but he did not know.
He was adamant that he did not know any of his co-accused.
The case is continuing and Jambeinge is expected to testify today.
Julius, Jambeinge and the exonerated accused went on trial on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances in January 2010 when they all pleaded not guilty.
It was alleged they colluded to rob the cash-in-transit vehicle of N$5.7 million in the Brakwater area north of Windhoek.
At the time of the robbery it was the biggest cash heist in the history of Namibia.
The police later recovered about N$3.38 million that was alleged to have been part of the stolen cash.