Windhoek
The Windhoek Magistrate’s Court was broken into between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, which was the fifth time since 2012.
Simon Tangeni Idipo, a senior public relations officer in the Ministry of Justice and Inspector Slogan Matheus from the Police Public Relations Division confirmed the crime.
A laptop was allegedly stolen from the control prosecutor’s office after an unknown suspect/s reportedly gained entry by climbing through an office window.
“Yes, I can confirm we received a complaint from the staff at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court that there was a burglary overnight. The police are hard at work investigating the matter,” Matheus said.
Idipo said that “an official report has not yet reached the office of the Ministry of Justice”.
The first break-in occurred three years ago. Thomas Mutilifa, an interpreter at the same court, and a taxi driver named Hafeni Kafila Kautwima were at the time charged for breaking into the prosecutor’s office to steal a case docket.
The two were charged with the theft of three dockets containing details of pending cases of robbery and fraud.
Mutilifa was an interpreter at the magistrate’s court as well as the High Court but he has since secured a new job.
After the incident, the Ministry of Justice installed surveillance cameras in the foyers and entrance to the court building, as well as an alarm system.
Burglar proof doors were also installed in the corridors.
Burglars also broke into the court on June 30 and on July 1 this year and on each occasion they managed to steal a computer. The computers were taken from the office of court clerks, where information about ongoing trials is kept. One of the windows to the office could apparently not be locked and this is how the unknown culprits gained entrance.
A court where the traffic court sessions are held was also broken into.