US diamond suspects’ bail hiked

THE bail of the two American citizens caught in a diamond-dealing trap in Windhoek last week was raised to a combined N$1 million yesterday before the two men were allowed to leave Namibia and return to their homes in New York City.

The two, Daniel Baruchov (45) and Samuel Shapiro (65), have to appear in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court again on June 5 next year, they were informed when they made a second court appearance in less than a week before Magistrate Helvi Shilemba. They face a charge of illegal dealing in unpolished diamonds, alternatively illegal possession of unpolished diamonds.The bail of N$300 000 that each of the men was granted on their first court appearance on Friday last week was increased to N$500 000 yesterday.Public Prosecutor Amizé Adams also told the Magistrate that their bail conditions – requiring them to report to the Police in Windhoek three times a day and forbidding them from leaving the district of Windhoek without the permission of the investigating officer – could be cancelled.At Adams’s request, and with defence counsel Louis Botes confirming the arrangement that had been agreed between the prosecution and the defence, the Magistrate further directed the Police to return the two accused men’s passports to them.They were set to catch a flight out of Namibia on the first leg of their return journey to New York City yesterday.According to the Police, Baruchov and Shapiro were arrested at the Windhoek Country Club Resort on Thursday last week.Twenty-two uncut diamonds were allegedly found in their possession.The Namibian Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division reported earlier this week that the gemstones were valued at N$641 000.Yesterday, however, this figure was reported to be N$706 000.The combined weight of the diamonds is claimed to have been almost 100 carats.The 22 stones allegedly also included some exceptional and very valuable gems, each weighing about 20 carats – the very sort of lure that has in the past been used with great success in diamond-dealing traps set up by the Police’s Protected Resources Unit.They face a charge of illegal dealing in unpolished diamonds, alternatively illegal possession of unpolished diamonds.The bail of N$300 000 that each of the men was granted on their first court appearance on Friday last week was increased to N$500 000 yesterday.Public Prosecutor Amizé Adams also told the Magistrate that their bail conditions – requiring them to report to the Police in Windhoek three times a day and forbidding them from leaving the district of Windhoek without the permission of the investigating officer – could be cancelled. At Adams’s request, and with defence counsel Louis Botes confirming the arrangement that had been agreed between the prosecution and the defence, the Magistrate further directed the Police to return the two accused men’s passports to them.They were set to catch a flight out of Namibia on the first leg of their return journey to New York City yesterday.According to the Police, Baruchov and Shapiro were arrested at the Windhoek Country Club Resort on Thursday last week.Twenty-two uncut diamonds were allegedly found in their possession.The Namibian Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division reported earlier this week that the gemstones were valued at N$641 000.Yesterday, however, this figure was reported to be N$706 000.The combined weight of the diamonds is claimed to have been almost 100 carats.The 22 stones allegedly also included some exceptional and very valuable gems, each weighing about 20 carats – the very sort of lure that has in the past been used with great success in diamond-dealing traps set up by the Police’s Protected Resources Unit.