7 guilty in N$5,3m heist

SEVEN of the eight men on trial in the High Court on charges that they were involved in a cash-in-transit heist in which N$5,3 million was stolen near Windhoek more than five years ago were convicted of a variety of crimes yesterday.

Hit the hardest by the verdict that Acting Judge Annel Silungwe finished delivering in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday are South African citizen Hyacinth James Ningisa, who claimed to have been shot and wounded during the heist in the Brakwater area on November 17 2000, and Hendrick Tsibande. Both of them were convicted as charged on all four counts that they and their co-accused in the case faced: two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and another two charges of illegal possession of a machine gun and ammunition.On the first robbery charge, they were accused of stealing a Nissan bakkie at gunpoint in Windhoek late on the evening of November 16 2000.On the second robbery charge, it was alleged that they used that bakkie to carry out the heist during the early morning hours of November 17 2000.Cash totalling N$5,3 million was stolen.At that stage it was the largest amount of money ever stolen in Namibia in a single robbery.N$4,1M STILL MISSING Of this, close to N$4,1 million remains unaccounted for.Only N$1,229 million is claimed to have been recovered during the Police investigation.Also hit hard by the verdict is another South African national, Mike Mabena.He was convicted of being one of the perpetrators of the bakkie hijacking, while Acting Judge Silungwe also found him guilty on the main robbery charge on the basis that he had been an accomplice to that crime.Mabena was further found guilty on the two counts of illegal possession of a machine gun and ammunition.From the evidence presented during the trial, it would appear that Mabena was possibly the mastermind behind the cash-in-transit heist, Acting Judge Silungwe commented in his judgement.It seemed to him that Mabena and Ningisa played the leading roles in the crimes, the Acting Judge said.Both Macdonald Kambonde, who was the driver of the security-company van that was targeted in the heist, and Ismael Oaeb were convicted as accomplices on the robbery charge.They were found not guilty on the other three charges.Brandon Similo was likewise acquitted on the other three counts, but found guilty on the main robbery charge as having been an accessory after the fact.STACKS OF CASH Another South African, Vincent Mabuza, who told the court that he had seen Mabena and Oaeb remove stacks of cash from the door panels of Oaeb’s car in Cape Town a few days after the robbery, was found not guilty on all the main charges, but convicted of theft under the cash heist charge.The only one of the eight to be acquitted entirely was Arvo Natangwe Haipinge.Although the evidence raised strong suspicions against Haipinge, it was not sufficient to warrant a conviction, Acting Judge Silungwe said.A web of cellphone calls that were traced from computerised phone records connected several of the suspects to each other.From these call records it was established that a number of calls were made from Ningisa’s cell number to Kambonde’s on the evening before the robbery.A call was also made from Ningisa’s number to Tsibande’s only minutes before the time of the second robbery, Acting Judge Silungwe noted in his judgement.Numerous calls were further recorded between Ningisa’s and Mabena’s cellphone numbers, and between Mabena’s and Tsibande’s, while the phone records also showed that calls had been made from Mabena’s number to Oaeb’s on the day before the heist, he further noted.On November 22 2000, five days after the heist, the South African Police raided a house in Camps Bay in Cape Town, where Mabena, Mabuza, Similo, Oaeb and Haipinge were found.Also found there was N$909 250 in cash, which was in a suitcase that Mabuza admitted belonged to him.That money was shown to have come from the load of cash that was stolen in the heist, the court heard.The suitcase was locked with a small padlock, and Mabena told the Police officers which key from a bunch of keys had to be used to open that with, the court also heard.Acting Judge Silungwe accepted this evidence, he said in his judgement.He also accepted evidence that a fingerprint that matched Tsibande’s was found on a sticker on the dashboard of the bakkie that was stolen in the first robbery and later used in the cash heist.He further accepted evidence that blood found in the same vehicle was matched conclusively through DNA testing to Ningisa.On the morning after the robbery, Similo was also in the picture when he contacted a doctor to organise treatment for Ningisa, who had a gunshot wound to his abdomen, Acting Judge Silungwe recounted more of the evidence.On the evening before the heist, he also recounted, an off-duty Police detective had seen Ningisa, Similo and Oaeb at a fast-food restaurant in Windhoek.The court further heard evidence that around the time that Mabena and Mabuza first arrived together in Namibia in October 2000, Oaeb had started renting a house in the city.It was at this house that Ningisa was first treated by the doctor that Similo summoned.The house played a critical role in the scheme of things, Acting Judge Silungwe commented.The seven convicted men are set to return to court today for the start of the hearing of evidence and arguments before they are to be sentenced.Both of them were convicted as charged on all four counts that they and their co-accused in the case faced: two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and another two charges of illegal possession of a machine gun and ammunition.On the first robbery charge, they were accused of stealing a Nissan bakkie at gunpoint in Windhoek late on the evening of November 16 2000.On the second robbery charge, it was alleged that they used that bakkie to carry out the heist during the early morning hours of November 17 2000.Cash totalling N$5,3 million was stolen.At that stage it was the largest amount of money ever stolen in Namibia in a single robbery. N$4,1M STILL MISSING Of this, close to N$4,1 million remains unaccounted for.Only N$1,229 million is claimed to have been recovered during the Police investigation.Also hit hard by the verdict is another South African national, Mike Mabena.He was convicted of being one of the perpetrators of the bakkie hijacking, while Acting Judge Silungwe also found him guilty on the main robbery charge on the basis that he had been an accomplice to that crime. Mabena was further found guilty on the two counts of illegal possession of a machine gun and ammunition.From the evidence presented during the trial, it would appear that Mabena was possibly the mastermind behind the cash-in-transit heist, Acting Judge Silungwe commented in his judgement.It seemed to him that Mabena and Ningisa played the leading roles in the crimes, the Acting Judge said.Both Macdonald Kambonde, who was the driver of the security-company van that was targeted in the heist, and Ismael Oaeb were convicted as accomplices on the robbery charge.They were found not guilty on the other three charges.Brandon Similo was likewise acquitted on the other three counts, but found guilty on the main robbery charge as having been an accessory after the fact.STACKS OF CASH Another South African, Vincent Mabuza, who told the court that he had seen Mabena and Oaeb remove stacks of cash from the door panels of Oaeb’s car in Cape Town a few days after the robbery, was found not guilty on all the main charges, but convicted of theft under the cash heist charge.The only one of the eight to be acquitted entirely was Arvo Natangwe Haipinge.Although the evidence raised strong suspicions against Haipinge, it was not sufficient to warrant a conviction, Acting Judge Silungwe said.A web of cellphone calls that were traced from computerised phone records connected several of the suspects to each other.From these call records it was established that a number of calls were made from Ningisa’s cell number to Kambonde’s on the evening before the robbery.A call was also made from Ningisa’s number to Tsibande’s
only minutes before the time of the second robbery, Acting Judge Silungwe noted in his judgement.Numerous calls were further recorded between Ningisa’s and Mabena’s cellphone numbers, and between Mabena’s and Tsibande’s, while the phone records also showed that calls had been made from Mabena’s number to Oaeb’s on the day before the heist, he further noted.On November 22 2000, five days after the heist, the South African Police raided a house in Camps Bay in Cape Town, where Mabena, Mabuza, Similo, Oaeb and Haipinge were found.Also found there was N$909 250 in cash, which was in a suitcase that Mabuza admitted belonged to him.That money was shown to have come from the load of cash that was stolen in the heist, the court heard.The suitcase was locked with a small padlock, and Mabena told the Police officers which key from a bunch of keys had to be used to open that with, the court also heard.Acting Judge Silungwe accepted this evidence, he said in his judgement.He also accepted evidence that a fingerprint that matched Tsibande’s was found on a sticker on the dashboard of the bakkie that was stolen in the first robbery and later used in the cash heist.He further accepted evidence that blood found in the same vehicle was matched conclusively through DNA testing to Ningisa.On the morning after the robbery, Similo was also in the picture when he contacted a doctor to organise treatment for Ningisa, who had a gunshot wound to his abdomen, Acting Judge Silungwe recounted more of the evidence.On the evening before the heist, he also recounted, an off-duty Police detective had seen Ningisa, Similo and Oaeb at a fast-food restaurant in Windhoek.The court further heard evidence that around the time that Mabena and Mabuza first arrived together in Namibia in October 2000, Oaeb had started renting a house in the city.It was at this house that Ningisa was first treated by the doctor that Similo summoned.The house played a critical role in the scheme of things, Acting Judge Silungwe commented.The seven convicted men are set to return to court today for the start of the hearing of evidence and arguments before they are to be sentenced.