Interpreter fingered in court

FINGERPRINTS of Thomas Mutilifa (28), an interpreter at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, were allegedly found at the scene of a break-in at this court.During the formal bail application of Mutilifa and co-accused Hafeni Kafita Kautwima (28) yesterday, it emerged that Mutilifa’s fingerprints matched the ones found on glass of a window that was broken.

It is suspected that the burglar(s) gained entry into a public prosecutor’s office through a window and stole three dockets.One of the stolen dockets is alleged to be that of the armed robbery case in which Kautwima is implicated.Under cross-examination by Deputy Prosecutor General Jackson Kuutondokwa about why his fingerprints were found at the crime scene, Mutilifa maintained: “My fingerprints were never there. How certain are you those are my fingerprints? It is not my fingerprints. I don’t know why it is matching.”According to Mutilifa, he and Kautwima are friends and that Kautwima, a taxi driver, escorted him to and from work regularly.Mutilifa told Magistrate Gibson Imbili, Kautwima also transported a cousin to and from the Polytechnic of Namibia where she studies.Kuutondokwa produced evidence that Mutilifa phoned Kautwima several times on the day before the burglary, January 17.It must have been an urgent matter which necessitated the frequency of calls on that day. Mutilifa acknowledged, but insisted that he cannot remember the details.Also on January 17, Kautwima made an appearance on the armed robbery charge, the court heard.While testifying, Mutilifa maintained he only heard about the burglary the day after it happened. “I will plead not guilty. I have nothing to do with this.”Mutilifa also testified yesterday that he has two previous convictions – both offences having been committed when he worked at the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court.On the one charge, he was convicted of having used a vehicle without the owner’s consent. This vehicle belonged to the Ministry of Justice, he said.Regarding the second offence, he was found guilty of cheque fraud. This came after he allegedly helped a friend to buy goods with a cheque at a service station at Swakopmund, by using his identity document.He was given fines for both convictions.Mutilifa and Kautwima were arrested more than three months after three “important Police dockets” vanished from the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court.The duo made a first appearance on a charge of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft on April 23.Magistrate Justine Asino postponed the matter then to June 21 for further Police investigation.The State opposed bail and Magistrate Asino ordered that they should bring a formal bail application.Mutilifa informed the court that he would be represented by Ray Rukoro from LorentzAngula, while Kautwima is represented by Tommy Andima from Van der Merwe-Greeff Inc.In January, it was reported that the three “important Police dockets” – on robbery with aggravating circumstances, corruption and theft – were stolen between the evening of January 17 and the next morning.Deputy Commissioner Silvanus Nghishidimbwa then said the burglars stole the dockets from the office of a prosecutor.The suspects gained entry through “a small window”, Nghishidimbwa said.Nghishidimbwa emphasised that the dockets contained important information. “These are not petty cases like shoplifting.” Closed-circuit television cameras were installed at the court following the burglary.It is understood that no other items were stolen from the office.The formal bail application was postponed until this afternoon.

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