Namibia’s prosecutor general has decided that three men facing charges in connection with a deadly armed robbery at the Windhoek head office of state-owned Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) in January last year should stand trial in the Windhoek High Court, The Namibian reported.
The three accused were informed during an appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court yesterday that they will be arraigned jointly on 10 charges in the High Court.
Two of the accused, former Namdia security officer Joel Angula and a relative, Sam Shololo, were jointly charged until yesterday, while the third accused, former security company employee Samuel Shipanga, was charged separately.
The charges Angula (47), Shololo (50) and Shipanga (34) will face include counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, conspiring to commit robbery and murder, disguising the unlawful origin of property, theft of diamonds, and possession of uncut diamonds.
They are required to make a first pretrial appearance in the High Court on 19 August.
Angula, a former police officer, was employed by Namdia as a security officer when an armed robbery took place at the company's premises on 18 January 2025.
Namdia security officer Francis Eiseb (58) and one of the alleged robbers, Max Endjala (43), were killed during the robbery.
The state alleges that 51,725 carats of diamonds, valued at N$335.6 million, were stolen during the heist, and that about 47,250 carats of diamonds, valued at N$295 million, have not been recovered.
It is also alleged that unpolished diamonds valued at about N$4.8 million were found hidden in boots at Angula's home on 19 January last year.
Testifying during a bail hearing in December last year, Angula denied removing diamonds from the Namdia premises.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor-In-Chief, Rough & Polished
