Rundu
Three men – two Angolans and a Namibian – appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Monday for being in possession of 560 uncut diamonds when they crossed the border into Namibia from Angola.
The three were arrested last week Thursday at Katwitwi border post, west of Nkurenkuru in Kavango West Region, after the police discovered the diamonds in a bag they had in the car they were travelling in.
The suspects are Muhinga Felix Isack, 29, Castro Thadeus Upite, 33, and Zeala Victor Katola.
They were charged with contravening Section 30 (1) of the Diamond Act 13 relating to possession of unpolished diamonds when they appeared before magistrate Esmee Molefe. The prosecutor was Albert Titus.
Two of the suspects, Isack and Katola, were denied bail because they are Angolan nationals while Upite, the Namibian, was granted bail of N$3 000. The State said it feared the two Angolans would abscond if given bail.
The case was postponed to September 10 for further police investigations. “The suspected diamonds have to be sent to the lab for investigations to determine if they are real diamonds or not, as well as what carat if they are real, and also to determine their value as one can’t determine the value by just looking at them,” said prosecutor Titus. This is the second arrest of persons carrying illegal uncut diamonds into Namibia from Angola through Katwitwi border post in a span of less than two weeks . On July 1, the 49-year-old Alfonso Jeronimo Cassinda, an Angolan national, was arrested for being possession of 128 unpolished diamonds.
Cassinda made his first court appearance in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court and was also charged with contravening Section 30 (1) of the Diamond Act 13 relating to possession of unpolished diamonds.
He was denied bail as the State feared that since he is a foreigner he is a high-flight risk and might abscond.