Court leaves its stamp on post office robbery man

THE only suspect prosecuted in connection with an alleged armed robbery at a NamPost branch at Windhoek’s Maerua Mall shopping centre in January 2003 was convicted in the Windhoek Regional Court on Friday.

A single fingerprint was the piece of evidence that did in robbery suspect Abner Mungandjo Haufiku (33) in his trial before Magistrate Sarel Jacobs. Relying on evidence about a fingerprint that matches the print of Mungandjo’s left middle finger, the Magistrate on Friday found Mungandjo guilty on the charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances that he has been facing since his arrest in early October 2003.Mungandjo was already in Police custody on another robbery charge when it was realised that one of his fingerprints matched a print that was found on a swing-door at the Maerua Mall Post Office following an armed robbery there on the morning of January 25 2003.About N$6 000 in cash and a watch valued at around N$600 were stolen during the robbery, which was carried out by three armed men.Mungandjo was the only suspect to be charged and prosecuted in connection with the incident.On Friday Magistrate Jacobs ruled that he was satisfied that the prosecution had proven Mungandjo’s guilt on the charge.When the Police first questioned Mungandjo about the matching fingerprint that was found at the scene of the robbery, he explained that he had been to that post office to withdraw N$20 from his post office savings account, the court was told during the trial.Mungandjo’s account had been empty at the time that he claimed to have withdrawn more money from it, though, it also emerged during the trial.During the trial Mungandjo also could not explain how his fingerprint could have been found where the Police claimed to have detected it.He maintained that he had been to the post office to withdraw money, but claimed that he had only been standing at the counter, and was not at the swing-door over which the three robbers had jumped on the morning of the robbery, according to testimony that the Magistrate heard.Mungandjo is already serving a 13-year jail term for robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition at this stage.He was sentenced to that term of imprisonment after he was convicted in the Windhoek Regional Court in March last year in connection with an incident in which he was accused of robbing a woman in Windhoek of her handbag at gunpoint.Mungandjo is supposed to return to court on November 23 for the start of the sentencing phase of his trial.Relying on evidence about a fingerprint that matches the print of Mungandjo’s left middle finger, the Magistrate on Friday found Mungandjo guilty on the charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances that he has been facing since his arrest in early October 2003.Mungandjo was already in Police custody on another robbery charge when it was realised that one of his fingerprints matched a print that was found on a swing-door at the Maerua Mall Post Office following an armed robbery there on the morning of January 25 2003.About N$6 000 in cash and a watch valued at around N$600 were stolen during the robbery, which was carried out by three armed men.Mungandjo was the only suspect to be charged and prosecuted in connection with the incident.On Friday Magistrate Jacobs ruled that he was satisfied that the prosecution had proven Mungandjo’s guilt on the charge.When the Police first questioned Mungandjo about the matching fingerprint that was found at the scene of the robbery, he explained that he had been to that post office to withdraw N$20 from his post office savings account, the court was told during the trial.Mungandjo’s account had been empty at the time that he claimed to have withdrawn more money from it, though, it also emerged during the trial.During the trial Mungandjo also could not explain how his fingerprint could have been found where the Police claimed to have detected it.He maintained that he had been to the post office to withdraw money, but claimed that he had only been standing at the counter, and was not at the swing-door over which the three robbers had jumped on the morning of the robbery, according to testimony that the Magistrate heard.Mungandjo is already serving a 13-year jail term for robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition at this stage.He was sentenced to that term of imprisonment after he was convicted in the Windhoek Regional Court in March last year in connection with an incident in which he was accused of robbing a woman in Windhoek of her handbag at gunpoint.Mungandjo is supposed to return to court on November 23 for the start of the sentencing phase of his trial.