Iuze Mukube
A State witness has testified that the brazen armed robbery at Namdia in January last year was a result of a carefully calculated plan rather than a spontaneous act.
Namibian Police Inspector Simeon Nghilalulwa told the court on Friday in the Windhoek Regional Court while testifying against granting bail to Joel Angula.
Angula (45) faces charges of murder, two counts of attempted murder, possession of rough and uncut diamonds, theft of diamonds, and disguising the unlawful origin of property.
Nghilalulwa cautioned the court on granting bail to Angula, citing the State’s grounds of opposition, such as the seriousness of the offence and that it has a prima facie case.
The inspector stated that there is prima facie evidence such that the accused would be found guilty of the offences, raising the risks of absconding and interfering with investigations.
It will also not be in the interest of the public nor justice due to the magnitude of the crime committed by the accused, particularly intentionally murdering Francis Eiseb in an execution style, he said.
He added that 452 parcels of unpolished diamonds, worth N$295 million, were taken and are still missing.
Nghilalulwa stated that during a search and seizure, 13 parcels of diamonds, worth N$4.7 million, were found at the residence of Angula, in safety boots and two plastic bags.
He also said during the arrest at the crime scene, a parcel containing 336 small unpolished diamonds, valued at over N$56 000, was found in the mouth of the accused, Sam Shololo.
On prima facie evidence, Nghilalulwa said there are statements made under oath in which witnesses will come and testify during trial on how they acquired the knowledge they deposited in those statements.
One such statement is of Frederick Vully, who allegedly was contacted in 2024 by the late suspect Max Endjala to meet at Wanderers Sports Stadium.
When they met, Endjala introduced Angula to Vully as his cousin. However, Vully stated he knew Angula already, as they were both ex-police officers and met at Trustco, recounted Nghilalulwa.
Nghilalulwa stated that Vully was allegedly informed by Angula that he and Endjala were planning a heist that will take place at Namdia.
Vully was also informed on how exactly they will execute the heist, and Angula went as far as explaining and highlighting that the security set-up at Namdia was not complicated and that they will take care of it.
Angula allegedly also told Vully that he will be the one granting access to the premises and that is by driving them through the security gate in one of his vehicles.
Vully was apparently given a day to decide if he wanted to join them, and if he did, he would be taken by Angula to the Namdia premises to show him how vulnerable the company’s security system was.
The witness, however, decided and informed Angula that he will not form part of the heist, as he had become a born again and had a family, with a small baby that needed care.
Vully, in his statement, also included that he advised Angula and Endjala not to commit the crime, as Angula was a respected and trusted person at his employment and Endjala was a family-orientated person.
After that, apparently, they never met again.
This statement, the officer stated, was made on 19 January 2025 by Vully after he read on social media that Angula was arrested while on his way to Hosea Kutako International Airport.
The witness drove back and went to Namdia, where he met Nghilalulwa and other officers and told them that he knew of this planned heist.
During investigations, Nghilalulwa stated that a search was conducted in the BMW belonging to Endjala, and they found a .22 calibre rifle as well as a piece of paper on how the heist was to be executed.
Nghilalulwa also stated that, from the crime scene evaluation, most of these activities were indeed executed.
Scientific examination of the blanket retrieved from the wall at the Namdia premises reported that DNA of Angula was found.
The inspector also stated that the CCTV at the premises was shut down, and after investigations, it was found that Angula shut it down.
The accused’s reason was that the camera was violating the privacy of the residents residing near the premises, even though there were no complaints of such made to the company.
Other evidence is that five small parcels of diamonds were also found in the dustbin near the accused’s base of operation, the guardhouse at Namdia.
