RUNDU – A Catholic priest identified as Willbard Haingura, who was found in possession of a suspected stolen solar water pump for a borehole from Nyangana Parish, was yesterday granted bail of N$3 000.

Haingura (40), along with his alleged accomplice Maria Lingue (30), appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

The police in Kavango East arrested the two suspects on Monday through a sting operation, where they were attempting to sell the pump to undercover cops.

The police have also been investigating widespread water pump theft, which has left many rural communities without water.

The undercover operation pretended to be looking for a second-hand solar water pump and that lured the priest and his accomplice to the lion’s den.

The solar pump, which was recovered, is valued at N$30 000, and it is believed to be the one that was stolen at Nyangana Parish last year. 

The priest was transferred from Nyangana to Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi region last year, and last week, he was bound to travel out of the country to Kenya to go and further his studies through the church, along with a priest from Shambyu Parish, who managed to leave last week without him. 

The two accused were found in possession of one solar pump at Millennium Park location in Rundu, and they both failed to give reasonable accounts for possession of the water pump to the police upon questioning.

The accused were represented by Bernhard Tjatjara.