‘The police threatened to kill him’

The family of one of the alleged robbery suspects killed by police officers at Okahandja claims he received death threats from the police.

The police only released a report on the incident on Tuesday, a week after Abed Andreas, also known as ‘Koppe’, Flavianus Kaluwapa Endjala, also known as ‘Kalu’, Marius ‘Jackie’ Iipinge, Malakia Iiyambo Kotokeni, who was also known as ‘Brown’, and Erick ‘Akawa’ Martin were gunned down.

Reacting to the death threat claims made by Andreas’ family, police deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi yesterday said the police can only confirm an allegation when a police case has been opened.

A cousin of Andreas, who asked to remain anonymous, said the family are unhappy and wish the police had arrested them instead.

“Koppe has been receiving death threats from the police before. We are willing to open a case against the police. We just need to talk to our lawyer. It’s a planned murder. If they wanted to catch them they could have informed the police at Okahandja,” she said.

She said despite this not being the first time her cousin had run-ins with the police, he still did not deserve to die like that.

“It’s not his first time being involved with the police. We don’t think it’s true that they shot at the police. They are smart enough to not shoot at the police. Something is just not adding up,” she said.

She said the incident seems to be a case of revenge between the suspects and the police.

During Andreas’ burial, which was live-streamed on Facebook, one of the speakers said despite his flaws, he was a loving and good father to his children.

“Yes, he had his own challenges, but he was a calm person, very quiet. He minded his business, but generally he was a good person,” she said.

Andreas was one of the criminals wanted by the police Serious Crime Division in 2018.

He and his fellow robbers had previously been arrested and granted bail in a combined total of 24 criminal cases, involving charges ranging from armed robbery, housebreaking and theft, attempted murder, possession of firearms and ammunition without a licence, illegal dealing in firearms, displaying of fake vehicle number plates and escape from lawful custody.

Shikwambi said investigations into the cases are ongoing. This is inclusive of forensic investigations on the vehicles, cellphones and firearms involved, as well as the items found in the suspects’ vehicle.

“This investigation is a gradual process, which unfortunately cannot be rushed into so as to avoid incomplete facts,” she said.
A murder case has been registered against the police.

Shikwambi said all cases registered against police officers are investigated like any other members of the public because it is only through proper investigation that it can be established that decisive action be taken.

“Like any other cases involving the police, the Internal Investigation Directorate opened such cases. Once the investigation, in any case, is completed, such docket is then sent to the prosecutor general for a decision/further instructions,” she said.

Shikwambi said qualified detectives at specialised offices such as serious crime investigations officers, do not wear uniforms.

The police are urging the public and the media to allow the investigations in the Okahandja robbery shooting case to continue unhindered.

In a statement released nearly a week after the incident, deputy inspector general for operations, major general Elias Mutota, said a case of attempted murder and malicious damage to property has been registered against a sixth suspected robber, who managed to flee the scene of the shooting.

According to the report released by Mutota, the police received information about a planned armed robbery “by some notorious criminals to be carried out at a certain farm in Khomas”, and that the target of this planned robbery was then shifted to a gambling house at Okahandja.

Police officers responded to the information and pursued the suspects from the police roadblock between Okahandja and Windhoek to Okahandja, where the suspects allegedly disappeared.

Mutota said the suspects were later spotted at a gambling house near Okahandja’s municipal offices, “where a hot pursuit ensued within the Okahandja town”.

He added: “During the process the suspects allegedly shot at the pursuing police car, which triggered an exchange of fire. Before the car could come to a standstill, the officers allegedly saw one of the suspects jumping out of the vehicle and running into the nearby riverbed where he disappeared. Eventually when the vehicle of the suspects came to a standstill on the way to Nau-Aib location opposite a biltong shop, it was at this juncture that the police observed that five suspects were in the vehicle and were struck by the bullets during the shooting.”

Two air guns, knives and housebreaking equipment were found in the car of the five alleged robbers shot dead by police officers at Okahandja on Tuesday night last week.

Lawyer Norman Tjombe says all life must be preserved at all costs, but if the police use force that results in the death of a suspect, that use of force should be justified.

Tjombe said the police would be permitted to use force when they are being shot at and that could result in serious harm or the death of suspects shooting at the police.

“The police, like anyone else, are entitled to protect their own lives when they are placed in a dangerous situation,” Tjombe told The Namibian.