Maria Amakali
Windhoek
Elia Shoopala Kapofi, who stands accused of stealing money from late veteran icon Andimba Toivo ya Toivo last year, is expected to make a return to court after his case was put back on the roll. Kapofi, who was a long-time assistant to Ya Toivo, was arrested on August 18, 2017 for allegedly stealing about N$71,000 from Ya Toivo.
The Windhoek Magistrate’s Court issued a summons against Kapofi, which consequently resulted in his case being placed back on the roll. The court refunded Kapofi’s N$10,000 bail. Kapofi’s short relief from mandatory court appearances will come to an end when he makes his scheduled appearance in court on May 7. The court provisionally withdrew Kapofi’s case from the roll last month following the State’s inability to establish the whereabouts of Kapofi’s criminal docket.
During his last appearance in court on March 16, the State could not establish whether the docket had been sent to the prosecutor-general’s office for a decision. The docket was supposed to have been sent in November. At the time the case was withdrawn from the court roll, there was no prosecutor to shed light on the matter as most of them were attending a training session.
The prosecution is charging Kapofi with theft and fraud for withdrawing about N$71,000 from Ya Toivo’s account on February 2, 2017. It is alleged that Kapofi withdrew the money illegally just months before Ya Toivo’s passing in June last year. It is further alleged that Kapofi was trusted with the deceased’s banking details and on occasion would withdraw money for the late’s household expenses.
With the case back on the roll, the court is waiting for the prosecutor-general to pronounce herself on the matter, with Kapofi making his appearance in May.