Eba Kandovazu

Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) security officer Joel Angula was denied bail in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday for his alleged involvement in the diamond heist which took place on Saturday, leaving two dead.
The 45-year-old Angula briefly appeared before magistrate Olga Muharukua. 

The State, represented by Rowan van Wyk, objected to granting Angula bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the charge, the strength of the State’s case against him, the fear of him interfering with witnesses, the administration of justice, and public interest.

Muharukua explained the accused’s right to launch a formal bail application.
Angula and four other suspects allegedly broke into the Namdia building in Windhoek, held staff members hostage, and stole an undisclosed amount of diamonds. The suspects also allegedly tied up the chief security officer, Francis Eiseb, and shot him dead.
One of the suspects, Max Endjala, reportedly turned the gun on himself as police officers closed in on him. 

Another suspect, 45-year-old Sam Shololo, was reportedly injured during a shootout with police officers, and is currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital under police guard.

Insiders state that Angula was the mastermind behind the heist, and allegedly led his co-accused inside Namdia’s highly-secured and sophisticated building.
The Namibian Police have reported that two other suspects fled the scene, and are still on the run with the stolen diamonds. 

Deputy Inspector General Elias Motata, however, informed Nampa that some of the stolen diamonds had been recovered.

Although Namdia and the police are yet to come clean regarding the value of the stolen diamonds, people with intricate knowledge have projected the value at more than N$280 million or US$15 million.

A local daily has, however, reported the loot was around N$1.3 billion, while another report suggests that diamonds valued at N$700 million were targeted during the robbery.
Collectively, the suspects face five charges – murder, read with section 18 of the Riotous Assemblies Act, Act 17 of 1986; robbery, read with section 18 of the Riotous Assemblies Act, Act 17 of 1986; two counts of attempted murder; and possession of rough and uncut diamonds. 

The case was postponed to 23 May 2024 to allow for further police investigations.
-Nampa