‘Broke’ Rebebe wants state-funded lawyer

Fraud accused Nico Rebebe, who made his first court appearance this week for his alleged attempt to steal N$200 million from Bank Windhoek’s Opuwo branch, told the court that he would need a legal aid lawyer because he does not have any money.

The diabetic banker, who was on the run for 54 days before returning to the north-western town after running out of medicine, has a formal bail application scheduled for 8 April.

At exactly 09:40 on Wednesday, Rebebe, dressed in a black suit and a white shirt, entered the Opuwo Magistrate’s Court, where he appeared before magistrate Eden Amutenya.

Calm, Rebebe appeared unbothered as his charge was read out to him by state prosecutor Aubrey Ndlovu, who also informed the court that 14 other persons linked to the fraud case are due to make their formal bail applications between 8 and 11 April.

When asked about legal representation, Rebebe told magistrate Amutenya that he intends to apply for government legal aid.

The magistrate advised him that a state-funded lawyer is only available to unemployed persons.

Rebebe replied: “I am unemployed.”

‘Friendly banker’

It is not clear whether Bank Windhoek has already dismissed him after the high-profile fraud case made national headlines over the past two months.

After his next court date was set, Rebebe was then escorted to the clerk’s office, where he made his formal bail application.

Many in the town described Rebebe as a "friendly banker with a wild social life."

Prior to Rebebe’s Wednesday appearance, 14 people implicated in the same case had already appeared at the Opuwo Magistrate’s Court.

The 14, who are currently in police custody, are charged with conspiring to commit theft.

Among them is Adson Mushishi (36), an immigration officer from Windhoek, who is a Namibian born in Angola’s Cuanza Sul province.

While Rebebe was in hiding for 54 days after the alleged theft on 13 January, he was rumoured to have fled to Angola.

More arrests coming

The majority of the suspects arrested in connection with the alleged theft are unemployed and were allegedly promised farm jobs by Rebebe.

They were instructed to open bank accounts, into which Rebebe later deposited N$2.1 million.

Rebebe retained their bank cards, granting him sole access to the money.

Another suspect was an inmate in a police holding facility in the north at the time the crime was committed.

Police said more arrests are likely in the coming days.

Rich lifestyle

Namibian Sun has learned that on 12 January, the day before the alleged multimillion-dollar theft, Rebebe allegedly booked himself and his girlfriend into an expensive accommodation establishment in the town, where they spent the night.

“Rebebe was on a drinking spree and the waiters got tipped handsomely that night,” a source said.

He was a regular walk-in client at the establishment, but on that day he booked himself in for the night, sources said.

Numbers

In court papers and the police docket, the amount involved in the fraud case is indicated as N$200 million.

Bank Windhoek said in January that less than N$2 million was taken, however. The bank informed the police that although the syndicate targeted N$200 million, a swift intervention ensured that the looted money amounted to considerably less.

Apart from electronic transfers, Rebebe is understood to have left the bank with a backpack containing N$500 000 in cash.

Meanwhile, sources in Opuwo told Namibian Sun that the Bank Windhoek branch has received many visitors lately, with rumours suggesting that experts were called in to improve the bank's security systems to prevent similar incidents.

In a separate matter, a former employee at the same branch, Frans Hosea Megameno (33), allegedly stole N$729 800 from the bank in 2021.

Megameno and Rebebe are known to be close friends.

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