Windhoek court hears Endjala’s pistol killed Namdia guard during diamond robbery

The Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) employee killed during an armed robbery at the company’s premises in Windhoek last year was shot with a pistol that belonged to one of the alleged robbers, Max Endjala, a police detective testified in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

According to a ballistics report obtained by the police, it was determined that the bullet that killed Namdia security officer Francis Eiseb was fired from a 9mm pistol that belonged to and was registered in the name of Endjala, detective chief inspector Simeon Nghilalulwa told magistrate Helvi Shikalepo during the hearing of a bail application by one of the men charged in connection with the robbery, former Namdia protection officer Joel Angula.

“The same pistol was also the one that was used by Max to shoot himself,” Nghilalulwa added.

Eiseb (58) was killed during the robbery on 18 January last year.

Endjala (43) also died of a gunshot injury at the Namdia premises.

Angula (46), who is a former police officer, and a second accused, Sam Shololo (50), are charged with counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and possession of uncut diamonds, and also two counts of attempted murder, in connection with the heist carried out at the Namdia head office.

The state is alleging that 512 parcels of diamonds, weighing 51 725 carats and valued at about N$335.6 million, were stolen during the robbery.

Deputy prosecutor general Johannes Kalipi informed the magistrate at the start of Angula’s bail hearing in December that 452 parcels of diamonds, weighing 47 250 carats and valued at about N$295 million, have not been recovered during the investigation of the robbery.

Angula is also charged with counts of theft and possession of uncut diamonds, involving 13 parcels of diamonds, and disguising the unlawful origin of property.

The state is alleging that 13 parcels of diamonds, valued at about N$4.8 million, were found hidden in boots at Angula’s home in Windhoek on 19 January last year.

Angula told the court in December that he is denying guilt on all of the charges. He said he was a victim in the robbery, during which he was tied up by the robbers.

Angula also testified that Endjala was his cousin and that he and Shololo are also relatives.

Nghilalulwa testified on Friday that a witness has told the police he was present when Endjala and Angula had a meeting at a sport club in Windhoek, where Endjala was playing squash, in February 2024 to discuss a plan to stage a robbery at the Namdia head office.

A senior police investigator has also made a statement in which he says Angula told him during an interview that he tried to persuade Endjala to hand himself over to the police when Endjala went to a guard house where Angula was on duty during the robbery.

According to what Angula told the investigator, Endjala responded by saying: “We are f*cked.”

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage recorded on 18 January last year shows that Endjala and Shololo went to the office block on the Namdia premises and that Endjala went to an electricity board, where he switched off the power, turning off the CCTV cameras on the premises, Nghilalulwa said.

He also said according to evidence collected by the police, Endjala went to a server room, where Eiseb was, after leaving the guard house where Angula was stationed.

Eiseb was shot in the back of his head, Nghilalulwa said.

Security guards who arrived at the robbery scene found Shololo armed with a 7.65mm pistol, with which he fired shots at the guards, Nghilalulwa told the court.

Shololo surrendered to the security guards after they had fired at him with a shotgun and he was struck, he said.

Angula was initially regarded as a victim of the heist, Nghilalulwa said.

Following the robbery, CCTV cameras at the scene were still off, and Angula disappeared from the scene for three hours, Nghilalulwa recounted.

It is suspected that Angula removed diamonds from the Namdia premises during that time, he said.
The bail hearing is scheduled to continue tomorrow.

Angula is represented by defence lawyers Veiko Alexander and Tuna Nhinda.

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