Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – A young man’s unquenchable greed led to his grandfather agony, after he repeatedly helped himself to his grandfather’s savings amounting to N$288,750 for the past two years.
It took the 81-year-old man Lolesuis ‘Lau’ Emili over 25 years to accumulate the savings from which he had hardly made any withdrawal.
Emili suspects that after requesting his grandson to help him withdraw money, he started to help himself into the account, as he knew the whereabouts of the ATM card and the PIN.
The distraught elderly man is currently receiving counselling from social workers at Katutura hospital.
The suspect, Gustaf Shoopala Ndeshikeya, 23, is suspected of withdrawing the money from Emili’s bank using ATM machines, debit cards purchases and is also accused of having signed up for internet banking were he could easily e-wallet money to himself.
It is alleged the young man spent the stolen money purchasing expensive outfits, frequenting a local hotel while sending over N$60, 000 to an estranged girlfriend.
Ndeshikeya was arrested on June 18 at Havana informal settlement and appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court the following day.
He was granted N$2 000 bail, which he has not been able to pay and remained in custody.
Khomas Regional Police Crime Investigation Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Abner Agas said the matter is under police investigation.
Fully aware of the difficulties the family faced, Emili who at the time was the family main breadwinner, brought his eldest daughter’s first-born son to Windhoek in October 2015. He arranged a job for him at a local law firm where the elderly man is employed as a caretaker.
According to Emili, this would have been his last year working, as age has caught up with him.
“I am heartbroken. There is nothing I can do even if I do not forgive him and he is released from jail, he will not be able to repay my money. If only you could see in my heart. You will notice how heartbroken I am,” narrated Emili who added that he would not commit suicide but might die in his sleep because of the disappointment brought upon him by a grandson he raised.
Emili retired from TransNamib at Namibia’s independence, and had requested the company to withhold his lump sum pension money, but instead give him his funds in monthly instalments, paid directly into his bank account.
After his retirement, Emili was employed by a local law firm as a caretaker and received his salary via his bank account. He also receives his old age pension in the same bank account. In total, Emili was receiving a total of N$7 800 per month, which he hardly withdrew since he had other part time jobs to supplement his income and sustain himself including his family in the north.
“I only go and withdraw money about four times a year and that is whenever I am travelling to the north. I do sporadic odd jobs, and on Thursdays and Fridays where I earn about N$400 from washing cars at the firm, I save that and sent to the north. Water and electricity bills are paid for by the firm, while my employer also supply me with food,” stated Emili. Despite his advanced age, Emili rides a bicycle to get around town, though he also owns a vehicle, which he hardly use.
The two men had lived together in the posh Eros suburb at the company residence, until Emili chased Ndeshikeya out of the place, when he first learnt of Ndeshikeya’s theft in January. Ndeshikeya relocated to Havana informal settlement.
Emili says he only learnt of the theft when he went to withdraw money to send home and was shocked to learn that he had insufficient funds in his account.
Despite being chased away, Ndeshikeya went onto to make duplicates of the old man’s keys to his residence and continued withdrawing money from the old man’s account.
On June 17, Emili went back to the bank to withdraw N$2,000 only to learn there were insufficient funds.