Charges brought against top cops

TWO senior Namibian Police officers charged with stealing from the force in May last year made a fifth appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

A long-awaited decision by the Prosecutor General was read to the commanding officer of the Police’s Finance Division, Joseph Kamati, and the head of the Police Special Branch, Commissioner Lotti Neromba Uusiku. They will face four counts of ‘theft by deficiency’, Prosecutor General Olivia Imalwa-Ekandjo has ordered.Their case, heard by Magistrate Helvi Kauna Shilemba, was yesterday ordered to be transferred to the Regional Court in Katutura.The two will appear in that court on February 23 to hear when their trial will start.They were both charged with theft after they apparently “lost” an unspecified amount of money that was in the care of the Police and was to be paid over to the Treasury.This money is said to include bail money, informants’ rewards and subsistence and travel (S&T) allowances.Uusiku was charged on March 23, and was joined a week later by Kamati.The two were suspended from their positions in June, after complaints by some Police officers about the lack of action against them following the discovery of the alleged theft.They remain free on bail of N$2 000 each.They will face four counts of ‘theft by deficiency’, Prosecutor General Olivia Imalwa-Ekandjo has ordered.Their case, heard by Magistrate Helvi Kauna Shilemba, was yesterday ordered to be transferred to the Regional Court in Katutura.The two will appear in that court on February 23 to hear when their trial will start.They were both charged with theft after they apparently “lost” an unspecified amount of money that was in the care of the Police and was to be paid over to the Treasury.This money is said to include bail money, informants’ rewards and subsistence and travel (S&T) allowances.Uusiku was charged on March 23, and was joined a week later by Kamati.The two were suspended from their positions in June, after complaints by some Police officers about the lack of action against them following the discovery of the alleged theft.They remain free on bail of N$2 000 each.