Seven deny Oshikango highway heist charges

THE trial of seven people accused of one of Namibia’s largest cash-in-transit heists started with pleas of not guilty from all seven suspects in the High Court in Windhoek this week.

The seven suspects are accused of having been involved in an armed robbery in which a little over N$1,5 million was stolen when a cash-in-transit vehicle was attacked on the road between Oshikango and Ondangwa on November 8 2002. At last count, this was among the five largest amounts of money yet to have been stolen in Namibia in a robbery.The trial started before Acting Judge Christie Liebenberg on Wednesday, when all seven pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and an additional charge of theft.On the latter charge, they are accused of stealing a 9 mm pistol and a Ruger Mini semi-automatic rifle from the two Rubicon Security Services employees who manned the cash-in-transit vehicle that was the target of the alleged robbery.One of the members of that crew, former security guard Joseph Joseph (“JJ”) Kagamenwa, is the first accused in the case now on trial before Acting Judge Liebenberg.Kagamenwa and four of his co-accused – Damian Veiko Kashuku Dengu, Alfeus Akawa Shikongo, Jesaja Shigwedha and Moses Amupolo – are also facing an additional charge of conspiracy to commit robbery, in which it is alleged that they had hatched the plan to commit the alleged robbery during October 2002 at Uupindi location in the Oshakati district.They also pleaded not guilty on this charge.The two suspects who are not facing the conspiracy charge are Andreas Henock, who is a brother of Shigwedha, and Johanna Wilbard, who is a sister of Kagamenwa.In the indictment that the seven are facing in the High Court, it is alleged that part of the money that was stolen in the alleged robbery was later found with them.Henock has an alibi, and can prove through documentary evidence that he was in Windhoek on the day that the alleged robbery took place near Oshikango, Basson told the court after the seven had pleaded.Shighwedha also has an alibi, and has a witness who can back him up on that score, Basson further told the court.He added that Kagamenwa had no knowledge about the alleged robbery, except that he was also pepper-sprayed in the face when the incident occurred.Defence counsel Lucia Hamutenya, who is representing three of the suspects, further informed the court that Shikongo also has an alibi in which he is claiming to have been somewhere else at the time of the alleged heist.Kagamenwa was in a Rubicon Security Services vehicle which was being driven by another staff member of the company, Nico Nel, when they stopped along the Oshikango-Ondangwa road to pick up a supposed security guard standing next to the road, the court heard yesterday from Pierre Hoffmann, a State witness who was the security company’s manager in the area at the time of the incident.Both Kagamenwa and Nel afterwards told Hoffmann that after they had stopped, someone attacked them with pepper spray, which was sprayed into the cabin of the bakkie that they were travelling in.He was told that when they tried to get their firearms out, a physical struggle with their attacker or attackers ensued, which ended with their firearms also being stolen from them, Hoffmann said.In the meantime, the cash which they had collected from clients at Oshikango – it was supposed to be taken to Ondangwa to be banked – was being stolen out of the back of the bakkie, Hoffmann said he was told.He added that the Ruger Mini rifle was apparently later found lying next to a road where it had been jettisoned.Making a stop along the road while transporting money was totally against the company’s procedures, Hoffmann said.”I agree there was gross negligence on the part of the driver (Nel) and the escort (Kagamenwa),” he acknowledged under cross-examination from Hamutenya.The trial continues today.State advocate Ed Marondedze is representing the State.At last count, this was among the five largest amounts of money yet to have been stolen in Namibia in a robbery.The trial started before Acting Judge Christie Liebenberg on Wednesday, when all seven pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and an additional charge of theft.On the latter charge, they are accused of stealing a 9 mm pistol and a Ruger Mini semi-automatic rifle from the two Rubicon Security Services employees who manned the cash-in-transit vehicle that was the target of the alleged robbery.One of the members of that crew, former security guard Joseph Joseph (“JJ”) Kagamenwa, is the first accused in the case now on trial before Acting Judge Liebenberg.Kagamenwa and four of his co-accused – Damian Veiko Kashuku Dengu, Alfeus Akawa Shikongo, Jesaja Shigwedha and Moses Amupolo – are also facing an additional charge of conspiracy to commit robbery, in which it is alleged that they had hatched the plan to commit the alleged robbery during October 2002 at Uupindi location in the Oshakati district.They also pleaded not guilty on this charge.The two suspects who are not facing the conspiracy charge are Andreas Henock, who is a brother of Shigwedha, and Johanna Wilbard, who is a sister of Kagamenwa.In the indictment that the seven are facing in the High Court, it is alleged that part of the money that was stolen in the alleged robbery was later found with them.Henock has an alibi, and can prove through documentary evidence that he was in Windhoek on the day that the alleged robbery took place near Oshikango, Basson told the court after the seven had pleaded.Shighwedha also has an alibi, and has a witness who can back him up on that score, Basson further told the court.He added that Kagamenwa had no knowledge about the alleged robbery, except that he was also pepper-sprayed in the face when the incident occurred.Defence counsel Lucia Hamutenya, who is representing three of the suspects, further informed the court that Shikongo also has an alibi in which he is claiming to have been somewhere else at the time of the alleged heist.Kagamenwa was in a Rubicon Security Services vehicle which was being driven by another staff member of the company, Nico Nel, when they stopped along the Oshikango-Ondangwa road to pick up a supposed security guard standing next to the road, the court heard yesterday from Pierre Hoffmann, a State witness who was the security company’s manager in the area at the time of the incident.Both Kagamenwa and Nel afterwards told Hoffmann that after they had stopped, someone attacked them with pepper spray, which was sprayed into the cabin of the bakkie that they were travelling in.He was told that when they tried to get their firearms out, a physical struggle with their attacker or attackers ensued, which ended with their firearms also being stolen from them, Hoffmann said.In the meantime, the cash which they had collected from clients at Oshikango – it was supposed to be taken to Ondangwa to be banked – was being stolen out of the back of the bakkie, Hoffmann said he was told.He added that the Ruger Mini rifle was apparently later found lying next to a road where it had been jettisoned.Making a stop along the road while transporting money was totally against the company’s procedures, Hoffmann said.”I agree there was gross negligence on the part of the driver (Nel) and the escort (Kagamenwa),” he acknowledged under cross-examination from Hamutenya.The trial continues today.State advocate Ed Marondedze is representing the State.