Two students of higher learning institutions in Windhoek appeared in court this week for fraud, and have been remanded in custody.

 Jerome Haragaeb and Simon Shuuya, both 19-year-old residents of Shandumbala location in Windhoek, were arrested on 8 August 2022 for fraud, forgery and uttering.

They appeared in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court on 10 August, and have now been remanded to 23 August for bail applications. 

The Namibian Police are requesting for people who may have fallen victim to their fraud scam to contact the Force’s public relations division. 

According to police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi, the suspects are first-year information technology (IT) students at Lingua College and the Namibia College of Open Learning (NamCol), respectively, and are co-owners of a company named Gure Trading responsible for sand mining, bricklaying, diamond polishing and food production.

Shikwambi said the duo pretended to belong to other entities and/or companies, which are allegedly managing some government projects.

“Moreover, they associated themselves with the Sisa Namadje law firm, using a proposal bearing a fake Sisa Namandje logo, thereby claiming to be facilitating and/or rendering
legal services to businesses on behalf of the law firm. As a result, some people in the Khomas and Erongo regions, where the duo allegedly operated, have fallen victim.

“The management of Sisa Namandje, in a recent press release, has since distanced itself from the dealings, and thus registered a case which is under investigation,” added Shikwambi.

The police are warning the public against skyrocketing cases of fraud in the country, and that people must come forth to report such cases.

Namandje said the duo’s company is not a client of his, and is not engaged in any business activity with the law firm. It is, therefore, fraudulently using the law firm’s logo.

“Sisa Namandje & Co is a law firm engaged in the practice of law. To this end, members of the public and businesses are cautioned from engaging in transactions with anyone or any business purporting to be in partnership with the law firm without full verification,” he stated.