A CASE of theft has been opened at the Otjiwarongo Police Station after confiscated money disappeared from the police safe.
The Namibian Police’s Otjozondjupa regional commander, commissioner Heinrich Tjiveze, yesterday confirmed the theft to Nampa.
The N$38 131 and counterfeit cigarettes had been confiscated from Congolese refugee Banny John Kabiena during his arrest at Otjiwarongo on 7 January 2016.
Kabiena was arrested in a joint operation by the police and customs and excise officials during which he was found in possession of counterfeit ‘Yes’ and ‘Remington’ cigarettes and the money, which was suspected to have been generated from sales of the cigarettes.
The money and cigarettes were placed in police custody for safe keeping at the Otjiwarongo Police Station to later be used as evidence in court.
However, it has been established that about N$29 950 and half of the cigarettes have since gone missing.
Kabiena appeared in court shortly after his arrest last year and posted bail of N$2 000.
On 2 October 2017 the case was expected to have continued in the Otjiwarongo Regional Court, with all the evidence, but the police failed to present the money or boxes of cigarettes.
It is still unknown when exactly the money went missing from the safe, which is surrounded by surveillance cameras.
Otjiwarongo Regional Court magistrate, Marilize du Plessis, postponed the hearing to allow the state and police to bring the evidence to court.
Du Plessis instructed the state and police to present the evidence in court on 27 October, or expect the case to be struck off the court roll.
Tjiveze said his team has opened an internal investigation into the matter.
– NAMPA
