Police still not done with Shikongo investigation

NAMIBIAN Police deputy inspector general Elias Mutota said the police have not yet finalised its investigation into a car accident involving police inspector general Joseph Shikongo, in which three people died.

Shikongo is being investigated for alleged culpable homicide, reckless driving and negligent driving after he was involved in a head-on collision with a sedan in December last year.

Three occupants of the sedan – Frans Ndengu, Stefanus Lukas and Sofia Ananias, died at the scene of the accident along the Ondangwa and Oshikango road.

“The investigation is almost finished. There is only one thing outstanding. They were putting all the pieces together to finalise the docket.

“The detectives also need to visit the scene of the incident and the general himself. Those are the only outstanding things,” Mutota told The Namibian yesterday.

Mutota said Shikongo will visit the scene, possibly with his lawyers, to point out where exactly the incident occurred.

He said he is in touch with the head of the investigative team, commissioner Nikolaus Kupembona, who is also the police regional commander for the Erongo region.

Mutota said the docket is likely to be handed over to the Office of the Prosecutor General next month.

“Just give us time. I think by the end of June it will be finalised and will be handed over to the prosecutor general for a decision. I know it took time, but this is an investigation that needs a careful approach,” Mutota said.

However, the families of the deceased told The Namibian they want to visit the scene at the same time as the Namibian Police chief.

Lukas’ mother, Maria Namholo, said the police have disrespected the families “possibly because we cannot witch.”
“Why is Shikongo going there? Does he know where exactly the incident happened? Was he not confused as a result of the accident?” she queried.

Her relative threatened to bring Namholo to Shikongo’s office to take her to the hospital, as she allegedly does not sleep well at night and her health has deteriorated since the death of her son.

Namholo also told The Namibian two weeks ago that her blood pressure is high because she does not sleep well at night, also because her home has lost a source of income as Lukas was the family’s breadwinner.

Ndengu’s sister Ester said she dropped out of school as there is no one to pay her tuition fees at the Atlantic Training Institute where she was studying.

She told The Namibian her late brother would have paid for her studies.

In March, activist Michael Amushelelo, through his lawyer Kadhila Amoomo, wrote to president Hage Geingob demanding Shikongo’s suspension pending ongoing police investigations.

Amushelelo requested Geingob, as the appointing authority, to suspend Shikongo.

Shikongo at the time said only the law will determine whether he should be arrested for alleged culpable homicide, reckless driving and negligent driving, not Amushelelo.

Lawyer Matti Asino from the government’s attorneys wrote back to Amushelelo to say the government was consulting all stakeholders and would respond in due course.

Two weeks ago, minister in the Presidency Christine //Hoëbes said Geingob has no power to arrest Shikongo following the head-on collision.

//Hoëbes was responding to questions raised by Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani on the influence Geingob could potentially have in ongoing police investigations.