Kuugongelwa-Amadhila N$159 000 scam case scrapped

Fraud charges against three men accused of scamming National Assembly Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila out of N$159 010 have been provisionally dropped.The Windhoek Magistrate’s Court struck the matter off the roll last month after police admitted they are still waiting on crucial telecommunications records from MTC.Magistrate Immanuel Udjombala granted state prosecutor Ndina Hamwele a withdrawal request under Section 6(a) of the Criminal Procedure Act, releasing Phillipus Iitenge (24), Lott Sakaria (20), and Simon Simon.The charge sheet states that on 5 June 2024, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila received a phone call from a person pretending to be 'Riaan Van Wyk', who alleged he was calling from First National Bank (FNB).The caller then reportedly tricked her into an actual or potential financial loss of N$159 010.Police arrested Iitenge and Sakaria on 5 October 2024. They were subsequently charged with fraud alongside an alternative count of theft.During their first court appearance on 7 October 2024 before magistrate Monica Andjaba, the State opposed bail. Hamwele cited the seriousness of targeting Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, fear of abscondment since the men resided in Walvis Bay and the early stage of investigations.When the matter returned to court for a prosecutor general’s decision, the court was informed that the docket was still incomplete.Police Detective Inspector Ngarihivirikue Nderura testified that although he initially thought investigations were wrapped up, a recent review revealed a missing MTC document. Nderura estimated he needs another month or two to secure the records.Defence lawyer Murray Shikongo represented Iitenge and Simon.The court ordered all bail money refunded, returning N$4 000 each to Iitenge and Simon and N$2 000 to Sakaria.rita@nmh-hub.com.na

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila N$159 000 scam case scrapped

Comments

Namibian Sun 2026-10-07

Please login to leave a comment

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila N$159 000 scam case scrapped

Comments

Namibian Sun 2026-10-07

Please login to leave a comment

Subscription Required to Access Content ×

Login

Subscription Required to Access Content