Policeman in court for alleged theft of N$40 000

A police officer from Nkurenkuru appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of stealing N$40 000.

Sergeant Olavi Hawanga (37), who is an investigator in the Crime Investigations Division (CID) at the Nkurenkuru Police Station in Kavango West, was arrested on Monday for allegedly stealing N$40 000 belonging to Johannes Kandere.

He faces three charges – a count of theft, a count of contravening the Anti-corruption Act by using his office and position for self-gratification and another one for contravening section 4 of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act No. 29.

The accused was allegedly instructed by his superior to retrieve Kandere’s money which was recovered after he was swindled by an unknown suspect at Katwitwi settlement.

According to a source familiar with the matter, Kandere initially lost N$50 000 after he was swindled by the suspect in a land deal.

The suspect later fled to Angola, but was arrested by the Angolan police. Upon his arrest, only N$40 000 was recovered. Hawanga was then ordered to retrieve the money from Angola to hand it over to Kandere.

However, instead of booking the money at Nkurenkuru Police Station, Hawanga allegedly kept the money for personal use.

The state, represented by public prosecutor Variety Matamata, proposed bail of N$20 000, which was opposed by the defence counsel, Bernhard Tjatjata, on the instruction of Hawanga, who said that he is a civil servant who only gets paid N$5 000 per month and the proposed bail amount was beyond his reach.

Magistrate Murray Shilongo granted Hawanga N$10 000 bail and postponed his case to 14 August for further investigations.