By Roland Routh
WINDHOEK – Police officers who were on duty on Friday, December 12 when five male suspects escaped from the Rundu Police Station could face charges of aiding or allowing trial-awaiting prisoners to escape from lawful custody.
The five inmates escaped while they were being served dinner at about 20h00 last week on Friday.
It is alleged the inmates managed to break the door adjacent to the kitchen and fled from the police station.
Two of the escapees are Johannes Kamwanga Matamu, 22, charged with rape and kidnapping from Samagaigai village and Zola Anton Babinu, 18, charged with housebreaking and theft as well as previously escaping from lawful custody. He is from Kehemu village.
One of the escapees, Mbuto Christiantes Hausiku, was re-arrested in the early hours of Saturday while Ndara Johannes and Ndara Stefanus, 27, who face charges of using a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent and theft under false pretences, are also still on the run.
According to the crime report it is strongly suspected the police officers who was entrusted with feeding the prisoners were grossly negligent, hence a case of aiding or allowing prisoners to escape from lawful custody was opened against the officers on duty.
The driver of a Toyota Corolla is in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Katutura State Hospital after he collided with a truck while driving in the wrong lane in Independence Avenue last Friday morning at 08h21.
The driver of the Corolla was identified as 32-year-old Terman Sipula Lupalezwi and charges of reckless or negligent driving are being investigated against him.
A case of armed robbery was reported at Tsandi.
It is alleged two suspects entered the Namib Empire depot at Tsandi under the guise of being customers.
They bought 10 crates of cool drinks and four crates of beer.
When the victim opened the safe to put the money in they produced a firearm and tied the complainant up with sellotape and took N$22 833.35 that was in the safe.
The suspects also snatched her mobile phone.
The suspects fled the scene in a silver Toyota Corolla with Oshakati registration plates.
Police investigations continue.
A 31-year-old man was allegedly robbed at gunpoint of his Acer laptop, Samsung cellphone, iPhone and cash of N$400 last week on Thursday at about 10h45 in Hofsauer Street in Khomasdal.
The value of the stolen items is N$23 000 and police investigations continue.
A 21-year-old man hanged himself with a rope from a tree near his homestead at Okambora village near Ruacana.
The body of Immanuel Kutondokwa was discovered by his housemates at about 07h00 after they saw him going into the bushes at around 06h00, but they became suspicious after he had not returned.
No suicide note was left behind and investigations continue.
The police are trying to confirm the identity of a man who hanged himself with a piece of wire at Outapi.
The deceased only had a hospital passport on him that showed that he had been at Grootfontein State Hospital the same day that he reportedly hanged himself.
The body was discovered by a passerby at the open residential plots in Outapi on Saturday December 13.
According to police spokesperson Sergeant Slogan Matheus the deceased was not known in the Outapi area.