No withdrawal of theft case against university duo

A THEFT case against two former University of Namibia staff members accused of stealing computer equipment was yesterday postponed for a fifth time in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court.

The possibility that the theft charge against Unam’s former Pro Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research, Professor Geoffrey Kiangi, and the former Manager of the university’s Computer Centre, Kaggere Suresh, might be withdrawn as a result of a request from Unam, was not mentioned again yesterday. At their third appearance at the end of October, their defence counsel, Slysken Makando, told the court that an agreement had been reached between Unam, as complainant, and Kiangi and Suresh, and that Unam had, as a result, written to the Prosecutor General to ask that the charge against the duo be withdrawn.At the same court appearance, the Public Prosecutor asked for a month-long postponement of the case so that the matter could be referred to the Prosecutor General for a decision whether to withdraw the charge or not.Nothing has so far come of Unam’s request, it appeared yesterday.Public Prosecutor Amizé Adams told Magistrate Kholwani Mangena that the case had been incorrectly referred to the Prosecutor General before, and that it would now follow the normal course.At Adams’s request, Magistrate Mangena postponed the case to March 14, when Kiangi and Suresh will be asked to plead.Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa told The Namibian on enquiry yesterday that she had responded to Unam’s letter, and that she had informed the university that a decision on whether to withdraw the matter or not was entirely up to the Prosecutor General.She said she had informed Unam that she would only withdraw the charge if there was no evidence on which the two men could be prosecuted.If there was evidence, any agreement they might have reached with Unam would be a matter between them and the university alone, Imalwa said.Kiangi and Suresh were arrested on March 14 last year on a charge stemming from allegations that they had been spotted by a security guard on March 10 while removing 12 computers worth N$70 000 from the university premises.Following their arrest, they were released on bail of N$7 000 each on the same day.The university announced in early August that Kiangi and Suresh had both faced internal disciplinary hearings.Suresh was found guilty of fraud, abuse of power and authority and unauthorised use of Unam property for private purposes.He was dismissed from the university on July 14.Kiangi struck a deal with the university at his disciplinary hearing in early August, the university also announced.As a result, he resigned from his post.At their third appearance at the end of October, their defence counsel, Slysken Makando, told the court that an agreement had been reached between Unam, as complainant, and Kiangi and Suresh, and that Unam had, as a result, written to the Prosecutor General to ask that the charge against the duo be withdrawn.At the same court appearance, the Public Prosecutor asked for a month-long postponement of the case so that the matter could be referred to the Prosecutor General for a decision whether to withdraw the charge or not.Nothing has so far come of Unam’s request, it appeared yesterday.Public Prosecutor Amizé Adams told Magistrate Kholwani Mangena that the case had been incorrectly referred to the Prosecutor General before, and that it would now follow the normal course.At Adams’s request, Magistrate Mangena postponed the case to March 14, when Kiangi and Suresh will be asked to plead.Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa told The Namibian on enquiry yesterday that she had responded to Unam’s letter, and that she had informed the university that a decision on whether to withdraw the matter or not was entirely up to the Prosecutor General.She said she had informed Unam that she would only withdraw the charge if there was no evidence on which the two men could be prosecuted.If there was evidence, any agreement they might have reached with Unam would be a matter between them and the university alone, Imalwa said.Kiangi and Suresh were arrested on March 14 last year on a charge stemming from allegations that they had been spotted by a security guard on March 10 while removing 12 computers worth N$70 000 from the university premises.Following their arrest, they were released on bail of N$7 000 each on the same day.The university announced in early August that Kiangi and Suresh had both faced internal disciplinary hearings.Suresh was found guilty of fraud, abuse of power and authority and unauthorised use of Unam property for private purposes.He was dismissed from the university on July 14.Kiangi struck a deal with the university at his disciplinary hearing in early August, the university also announced.As a result, he resigned from his post.