Councillor's son arrested over AK-47 theft
15 June 2020 | Crime
KENYA KAMBOWE
RUNDU
The son of suspended APP Rundu councillor Mathews Wakudumo was arrested after he allegedly stole an AK-47 rifle belonging to a Namibian Defence Force (NDF) member in Rundu.
The accused, Willem Longwani Wakudumo (36), was arrested on 29 May, the same day the rifle was stolen from a police car.
Details remain sketchy, however, Namibian Sun has established that the rifle was allegedly stolen from the vehicle, which was parked at a popular shop, while the officers went into Gino's Restaurant and left the loaded gun unattended.
It is alleged that the suspect(s) gained easy entry to the vehicle, stole the weapon, which belongs to soldiers Popyeni Nehemia Ndeyamo, and fled the scene.
Valued at N$25k
Apart from the brief synopsis as per the court charge sheet, Kavango East police crime coordinator Bonifatius Kanyetu could only confirm that the rifle was indeed stolen, one suspect (Willem) was arrested and that the rifle, valued at N$25 000, was recovered.
Kanyetu said investigations are still ongoing and not much can be shared with the public.
Court appearance
Meanwhile, Willem made his first appearance in the Rundu Magistrate Court last Wednesday, facing one count of theft.
He appeared before Magistrate Hellen Olaiya, who remanded the matter to 20 August for further investigations. The accused remains in police custody.State prosecutor Rauna Shihuuandu opposed bail on the grounds that matter is serious and investigations are at an early stage.
Suspect assaulted
An irate Mathews told Namibian Sun that he is disappointed in how law enforcement agencies publicly interrogated and assaulted his son on the day he was apprehended.
He narrated that various law enforcement officers, including police and NDF members, physically assaulted his son at their Sauyemwa home.
The assault allegedly happened around midnight on 29 May after the officers identified Willem as the perpetrator via CCTV footage.“They beat up my son in front of his children, who ran and came to wake me up, and I also saw how they were beating and kicking my child while in handcuffs. Me and my wife even tried to intervene but they did not want to listen to us. They acted as if we were not there,” Mathews said.
Coughing blood
He added that he was not trying to get in the way of the officers doing their work, but feels it was unfair for officers to assault his son to the extent that he was coughing blood.
“The worst part is that they were assaulting him in public. Why could they not just take him to the station and interrogate him? As a family, we are disappointed in what had happened. We were left traumatised,” he said.
RUNDU
The son of suspended APP Rundu councillor Mathews Wakudumo was arrested after he allegedly stole an AK-47 rifle belonging to a Namibian Defence Force (NDF) member in Rundu.
The accused, Willem Longwani Wakudumo (36), was arrested on 29 May, the same day the rifle was stolen from a police car.
Details remain sketchy, however, Namibian Sun has established that the rifle was allegedly stolen from the vehicle, which was parked at a popular shop, while the officers went into Gino's Restaurant and left the loaded gun unattended.
It is alleged that the suspect(s) gained easy entry to the vehicle, stole the weapon, which belongs to soldiers Popyeni Nehemia Ndeyamo, and fled the scene.
Valued at N$25k
Apart from the brief synopsis as per the court charge sheet, Kavango East police crime coordinator Bonifatius Kanyetu could only confirm that the rifle was indeed stolen, one suspect (Willem) was arrested and that the rifle, valued at N$25 000, was recovered.
Kanyetu said investigations are still ongoing and not much can be shared with the public.
Court appearance
Meanwhile, Willem made his first appearance in the Rundu Magistrate Court last Wednesday, facing one count of theft.
He appeared before Magistrate Hellen Olaiya, who remanded the matter to 20 August for further investigations. The accused remains in police custody.State prosecutor Rauna Shihuuandu opposed bail on the grounds that matter is serious and investigations are at an early stage.
Suspect assaulted
An irate Mathews told Namibian Sun that he is disappointed in how law enforcement agencies publicly interrogated and assaulted his son on the day he was apprehended.
He narrated that various law enforcement officers, including police and NDF members, physically assaulted his son at their Sauyemwa home.
The assault allegedly happened around midnight on 29 May after the officers identified Willem as the perpetrator via CCTV footage.“They beat up my son in front of his children, who ran and came to wake me up, and I also saw how they were beating and kicking my child while in handcuffs. Me and my wife even tried to intervene but they did not want to listen to us. They acted as if we were not there,” Mathews said.
Coughing blood
He added that he was not trying to get in the way of the officers doing their work, but feels it was unfair for officers to assault his son to the extent that he was coughing blood.
“The worst part is that they were assaulting him in public. Why could they not just take him to the station and interrogate him? As a family, we are disappointed in what had happened. We were left traumatised,” he said.
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