Accident video of former Police chief missing

VIDEO footage taken by an eyewitness of the accident in which the former Police chief of Erongo, suspended Deputy Commissioner Andrew Iyambo, was involved in 2005 has gone missing.

Iyambo was involved in an accident in Walvis Bay on the night of September 25 2005. He was allegedly driving a Police vehicle, which collided with two other vehicles.Allegations are that Iyambo left the scene of the accident, and that alcohol may have been involved.According to witnesses, Iyambo allegedly ran a red light before colliding into the back of a taxi.His vehicle allegedly recoiled from the impact and collided with another taxi in the opposite lane.Both taxis came to a standstill on the pavement owing to the force of the impact.Eyewitnesses allegedly saw Iyambo leave the scene soon afterward.A cooler box was allegedly found in the back of the Police bakkie, and also removed.Eyewitness Phella Kambenzera, who said he had captured the incident on video, told Magistrate Dinnah Usiku in the Swakopmund Regional Court on Tuesday that he was busy watching sport on television when he heard the first collision.He lived in an apartment close to where the accident took place.According to him, he went out onto his balcony and saw the second collision.He grabbed his video camera and started filming the scene.He allegedly saw Iyambo getting out of the car and leaving the scene.Kambenzera could not produce the video in court, however.He said it had gone missing.Another witness, Namib Times Editor Floris Steenkamp, told the court that he was called by an unknown person who informed him of the accident and said Iyambo was involved.Steenkamp immediately went to the scene to cover the story for the coastal newspaper and take photos.He said he did not see Iyambo at the scene, nor did he notice any coolbox on the bakkie.He said he did hear what sounded like bottles being removed from the vehicle’s cabin.The photos Steenkamp took of the accident scene were published in the Namib Times and he gave copies to the Police.When defence lawyer Natasha Lourens suggested that Iyambo was taken to hospital to be treated for injuries, Steenkamp said when he contacted the hospitals, there was no confirmation that Iyambo had been admitted.The case was postponed until April 23 2007.He was allegedly driving a Police vehicle, which collided with two other vehicles.Allegations are that Iyambo left the scene of the accident, and that alcohol may have been involved.According to witnesses, Iyambo allegedly ran a red light before colliding into the back of a taxi.His vehicle allegedly recoiled from the impact and collided with another taxi in the opposite lane.Both taxis came to a standstill on the pavement owing to the force of the impact.Eyewitnesses allegedly saw Iyambo leave the scene soon afterward.A cooler box was allegedly found in the back of the Police bakkie, and also removed. Eyewitness Phella Kambenzera, who said he had captured the incident on video, told Magistrate Dinnah Usiku in the Swakopmund Regional Court on Tuesday that he was busy watching sport on television when he heard the first collision.He lived in an apartment close to where the accident took place.According to him, he went out onto his balcony and saw the second collision.He grabbed his video camera and started filming the scene.He allegedly saw Iyambo getting out of the car and leaving the scene.Kambenzera could not produce the video in court, however.He said it had gone missing.Another witness, Namib Times Editor Floris Steenkamp, told the court that he was called by an unknown person who informed him of the accident and said Iyambo was involved.Steenkamp immediately went to the scene to cover the story for the coastal newspaper and take photos.He said he did not see Iyambo at the scene, nor did he notice any coolbox on the bakkie.He said he did hear what sounded like bottles being removed from the vehicle’s cabin.The photos Steenkamp took of the accident scene were published in the Namib Times and he gave copies to the Police.When defence lawyer Natasha Lourens suggested that Iyambo was taken to hospital to be treated for injuries, Steenkamp said when he contacted the hospitals, there was no confirmation that Iyambo had been admitted.The case was postponed until April 23 2007.