NEWS - NAMIBIA
| 2013-07-30‘Fake cops’ robbery charges withdrawn
Werner Menges
THE charges against five men accused of having been involved in an alleged robbery in which N$2,2 million was stolen from a Lebanese businessman in Klein Windhoek in May last year were withdrawn in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
With the investigation of their case still not completed, Deputy Prosecutor General Jackson Kuutondokwa has given an instruction that the charges against the five should be withdrawn at this stage, Public Prosecutor Samantha Diergaardt told Magistrate Justine Asino when four of the five accused made their latest appearance in court.
One of the accused, Eliaser Amukoto, also known as ‘Kambau’, was not present in court yesterday. He has been seriously injured in a road accident, and is receiving medical treatment in a hospital at Ongwediva, the magistrate was told.
Magistrate Asino informed the other accused – Josia (‘Zorro’) Muhongo, Michael Shidiwe, Mupopiwa Cheguevara Mupopiwa, and Nestor Kashuupulwa – that the charges against them were withdrawn, and that the money which had been paid to secure their release on bail could now be returned to the depositors of the money.
The men’s case was postponed for a final time for investigations to be completed when they made their previous appearance in court four months ago.
The five accused were charged with counts of robbery and impersonating a member of the Namibian Police in connection with an incident in which a Lebanese businessman, Vicken Kaprelian, was allegedly robbed of N$2,2 million at a house in Klein Windhoek on 16 May last year.
Kaprelian was at the house in the company of Muhongo, who testified during his bail hearing in June last year that he and Kaprelian were business partners. Muhongo also testified that Kaprelian was supposed to have a meeting with Shidiwe about a possible sale of an oil exploration licence by Shidiwe.
The alleged robbery is claimed to have taken place when a group of four men arrived at the house and announced that they were police officers who were investigating illegal activities. One of the men left the house with the bag in which Kaprelian had been carrying N$2,2 million in cash, it is alleged.
Shidiwe was arrested a day after the incident, while Amukoto, Mupopiwa and Kashuupulwa were arrested nearly two months later.
During their bail hearings the charged men all told the court that they were denying the charges against them and would be pleading not guilty at an eventual trial.
Kashuupulwa and Mupopiwa, who were both police officers at the time of their arrest, said they were surprised and disappointed by the withdrawal of the charges after their reputations had been sullied by their arrest and the subsequent legal proceedings against them.
Mupopiwa said he had been saying since the day of his arrest that he had nothing to do with the alleged robbery. He would have wanted to have the case against them run its course so that he could be pronounced not guilty after the evidence had been heard in court, instead of having the charges withdrawn, Mupopiwa said.
The withdrawal of the charges, without the delivery of a verdict in the men’s case, means that they could again be charged later if the Office of the Prosecutor General decides to prosecute them on the same charges.
Muhongo was free on bail in an amount of N$30 000. Shidiwe and Amukoto were free on bail of N$20 000 each, while Mupopiwa and Kashuupulwa were free on bail of N$5 000 each.
With the investigation of their case still not completed, Deputy Prosecutor General Jackson Kuutondokwa has given an instruction that the charges against the five should be withdrawn at this stage, Public Prosecutor Samantha Diergaardt told Magistrate Justine Asino when four of the five accused made their latest appearance in court.
One of the accused, Eliaser Amukoto, also known as ‘Kambau’, was not present in court yesterday. He has been seriously injured in a road accident, and is receiving medical treatment in a hospital at Ongwediva, the magistrate was told.
Magistrate Asino informed the other accused – Josia (‘Zorro’) Muhongo, Michael Shidiwe, Mupopiwa Cheguevara Mupopiwa, and Nestor Kashuupulwa – that the charges against them were withdrawn, and that the money which had been paid to secure their release on bail could now be returned to the depositors of the money.
The men’s case was postponed for a final time for investigations to be completed when they made their previous appearance in court four months ago.
The five accused were charged with counts of robbery and impersonating a member of the Namibian Police in connection with an incident in which a Lebanese businessman, Vicken Kaprelian, was allegedly robbed of N$2,2 million at a house in Klein Windhoek on 16 May last year.
Kaprelian was at the house in the company of Muhongo, who testified during his bail hearing in June last year that he and Kaprelian were business partners. Muhongo also testified that Kaprelian was supposed to have a meeting with Shidiwe about a possible sale of an oil exploration licence by Shidiwe.
The alleged robbery is claimed to have taken place when a group of four men arrived at the house and announced that they were police officers who were investigating illegal activities. One of the men left the house with the bag in which Kaprelian had been carrying N$2,2 million in cash, it is alleged.
Shidiwe was arrested a day after the incident, while Amukoto, Mupopiwa and Kashuupulwa were arrested nearly two months later.
During their bail hearings the charged men all told the court that they were denying the charges against them and would be pleading not guilty at an eventual trial.
Kashuupulwa and Mupopiwa, who were both police officers at the time of their arrest, said they were surprised and disappointed by the withdrawal of the charges after their reputations had been sullied by their arrest and the subsequent legal proceedings against them.
Mupopiwa said he had been saying since the day of his arrest that he had nothing to do with the alleged robbery. He would have wanted to have the case against them run its course so that he could be pronounced not guilty after the evidence had been heard in court, instead of having the charges withdrawn, Mupopiwa said.
The withdrawal of the charges, without the delivery of a verdict in the men’s case, means that they could again be charged later if the Office of the Prosecutor General decides to prosecute them on the same charges.
Muhongo was free on bail in an amount of N$30 000. Shidiwe and Amukoto were free on bail of N$20 000 each, while Mupopiwa and Kashuupulwa were free on bail of N$5 000 each.
