Ndeitunga suspects inside job in Namdia heist: Calls for increased vetting of Govt officials

Former Namibian Police inspector general Sebastian Ndeitunga says some government officials are in bed with criminals.

This comes after Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) lost N$350 million worth of diamonds in a robbery on Saturday.

“It is my view that they did it with inside information or inside cooperation with some individuals who are well-placed in the company,” he told The Namibian yesterday.

“You can see this incident was carefully planned, possibly with individuals who are employees of the company who might have provided intelligence on the movement of the items inside the company,” Ndeitunga said.

According to him, government employees need continuous vetting to enhance intelligence measures.

“Criminals are trying to captalise on any opportunity to commit their evil. Whether it is companies or individuals, we should always be vigilant and proactive,” he said.

Ndeitunga said companies should work together with the police when dealing with issues such as diamonds.

When approached for comment, police deputy inspector general Elias Mutota said he does not have knowledge on the matter and will not comment.

‘Well PLANNED’

Ndeitunga said the heist took time to plan.

“It was really carefully planned, probably with time, and that led to the execution of the plan by the criminals to steal the diamonds after they had accurately received this information,” he said.

Three suspects have been connected to the robbery: Trustco internal and forensics investigation unit chief operating officer Max Endjala, his cousin Joel Angula (believed to be a former police officer), and Sam Shololo. Endjala died on Saturday.

The robbery also killed Namdia senior security officer Francis Eiseb (57).

Ndeitunga said Angula likely realised being an officer was not his calling.

“Even if the person was a former police officer and left the force, what he has committed now cannot be linked to the Namibian Police,” he said.

According to Ndeitunga, “there is no link between [Angula] and the police”.

Meanwhile, Popular Democratic Movement president McHenry Venaani called for the suspension of the entire Namdia board of directors and executives.

“The head of security must be relieved at this point in time. The chief executive must be relieved and have a thorough investigation into what has transpired. The Namdia board must be relieved,” Venaani said yesterday.

He also called for the police to remove officers they suspect of being involved in the heist from the investigation.

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION RESPONDS

Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, Public Service Commission chairperson Salmaan Jacobs said not all public servants are involved in criminal activities.

“Generally, people are doing their work, and I will not generalise them by saying public servants are involved in criminal activities. If there are any, it might be a few individuals, because not all of them are good people – there is always the possibility of a bad person somewhere,” he said.

Jacobs said Ndeitunga might be referring to those working in the police or the army.

“Let us not generalise and make it seem like the entire public sector is involved,” he said.

According to Jacobs, such incidents should be reported when they occur.

“… so that those people are dealt with and taken care of. They are putting the government in dispute, so they will be dealt with. It is not a general issue or an alarming issue for us to have seen a big percentage of public services involved in criminal activities,” he said.

“Everything we are checking is not only a reference check on the person alone, but also how the person was employed. That is why we do regular checks, to make sure employees or anyone employed does not have a criminal record or is not a criminal or a convicted criminal. We check the way you respond,” he said.