Rundu state prosecutor robbed of case dockets

A state prosecutor in Kavango East was reportedly robbed last Saturday after finishing work and being ambushed at a local shop.

Official case dockets were stolen during the incident but were later recovered by police.

According to Deputy Commissioner Bonifatius Kanyetu, the police crime investigations coordinator in the region, the suspects struck after the prosecutor had left the Rundu Magistrate’s Court and stopped at a shop on his way home.

“They stormed him as he was getting out of his car,” Kanyetu said, adding that the suspects made off with a laptop, electronic devices and sensitive case dockets.

The suspects later discarded the dockets in a nearby field during their escape, where they were quickly recovered by police.

A camping chair belonging to the prosecutor was also recovered from one of the suspects, who was arrested earlier this week.

So far, one suspect has been arrested, while three others remain at large.

Kanyetu said the police are actively pursuing the remaining suspects, who are known to them.

Police believe the suspects were primarily interested in the electronic devices, as the case dockets were thrown away.

Judiciary under fire

The robbery comes at a tense time for Namibia’s judiciary, following the death of Ondangwa control prosecutor Justine Shiweda and threats directed at a prosecutor in Grootfontein.

Last year, the Rundu Magistrate’s Court was set ablaze, destroying vital case documents.

Despite these worrying incidents, Kanyetu stressed that the robbery appears to have been an opportunistic crime rather than a targeted attack on the judiciary.

“The safety of legal personnel is a priority, and we are working tirelessly to ensure all suspects are brought to justice,” he added.

Following the incident, prosecutor general Martha Imalwa, speaking to this publication, emphasised that prosecutors are not allowed to take case dockets home.

“It is not a policy of the office to go with the dockets. We have a policy in place which informs prosecutors not to take dockets home,” Imalwa said.

Imalwa also explained that if a docket goes missing, the matter must be reported to the police. “If a prosecutor loses a docket, whether in the office or elsewhere, it should be reported to the police and a criminal case is opened."

Regarding Saturday’s robbery, Imalwa said the matter remains under investigation. “I received the report, but it is under investigation to determine under which circumstances the so-called robbery took place."

A source told Namibian Sun it has become common for prosecutors to take dockets home to adequately prepare for court.

“We at times do take dockets home to prepare. In the event that a docket goes missing, we have procedures in place whereby, before a docket is brought before court, the Namibian police make digital copies saved on a database. So losing the physical documents does not entirely mean the end of a case."