Rebebe says he ‘escaped’ to seek traditional treatment in Angola

Bank Windhoek’s Opuwo branch employee Nico Rebebe, one of the key suspects in the dramatic January 2024 attempted bank heist, has broken his silence – claiming that his two-month disappearance after the incident was not an escape from justice, but a journey to seek traditional healing for his diabetes in neighbouring Angola.

Rebebe, who was arrested in March after surrendering himself to the police, told Namibian Sun in an exclusive interview that he never intended to evade law enforcement. Rather, he said, his health struggles forced him to seek alternative treatment across the border, and it was only while he was undergoing care that he learnt he was wanted by the police in Namibia.

“I went to Angola for treatment from a traditional healer who placed me on a three-month plan. While I was busy with my treatment, I found out that the police were looking for me,” Rebebe said calmly during the interview.



The plan

The 32-year-old father of five, who worked as an administrative clerk at Bank Windhoek’s Opuwo branch for nearly a decade, stands accused of conspiracy to commit theft in connection with an alleged attempt to transfer N$200 million from the bank earlier this year. The bank later clarified that the figure in question was closer to N$2 million – but by then, the case had already made national headlines and thrust Rebebe into the spotlight as the supposed mastermind behind one of Namibia’s boldest financial crimes.

According to police reports, Rebebe disappeared soon after the attempted theft was discovered, prompting a manhunt that ended only when he surrendered himself to the authorities on 7 March. He was arrested at his then girlfriend’s residence in Opuwo, after contacting Bank Windhoek’s forensic department, who advised him to turn himself in. He said the girlfriend has since left him, due to his lengthy stay-away.



\'I\'m broke\'

Despite the high-profile nature of the case, Rebebe maintains his innocence. He insists he is being unfairly targeted and scapegoated for weaknesses in the bank’s internal system.

“My reputation is that of someone who stole money, but I am broke,” he said. “I am being accused of something I did not do. The issue is that the bank’s system was weak. How could one employee be able to transfer such a huge amount without supervisor approval?”

Rebebe also questioned the logic behind branding him as the ‘mastermind’ when, he claims, he had neither the access nor the authority to make such large transactions.

He said he delayed applying for bail because his legal counsel advised him to wait until the state concluded its investigations and finalised the full list of suspects. “At the time, there were many accused being added to the case. It did not make sense to apply for bail when the state still considered me the main suspect,” he explained.



Breadwinner

Now that sixteen of his co-accused have been granted bail amounts ranging from N$500 to N$1 500, Rebebe said he will soon file a formal bail application – most likely before the end of this year. Only he and one other accused, Festus Bumes, remain in custody.

“I want to go home and take care of my five children. I was the breadwinner before all this happened,” he said, his voice tinged with frustration.

The case has since been fully investigated and is now before the Office of the Prosecutor General for a decision on whether the accused should face trial. Rebebe and the 17 others made their last court appearance on 1 September in the Opuwo Magistrate’s Court, where the matter was postponed to 30 April next year.

Rebebe said the long delay is partly due to logistical difficulties faced by some of his co-accused who live as far away as Rundu and Windhoek. “They told the court that travelling to Opuwo for each appearance is expensive, so the matter was postponed for several months,” he explained.