Investigator testifies at HAMS murder trial

The investigating officer, who probed the robbery and murder of HAMS Security Services owner Andries de Jager in November 2009, has recounted how two of the three accused were arrested shortly after the crime. Detective Sergeant Joseph Ndokosho was testifying yesterday in the High Court, where Willem Kawulefelwa Valombolo, 46, Toivo Kashipolo, 39, and Fillipus Shishiveni Nomongula, 40, are on trial. They are also accused of two attempted murders, as well as the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. De Jager, 68, was shot when he and one of his security guards were attacked by three robbers upon their return from a bank, where they had gone to withdraw workers’ salaries. About N$172 488 in cash was stolen during the robbery, which was later recovered by the police. Ndokosho, who has been in the police service for the past 13 years, said on November 2, 2009, he was notified of an armed robbery. While driving to the scene he overheard a communication on the police radio that indicated that one of the suspects had run in the direction of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in Windhoek’s Northern Industrial Area. When he arrived at the scene he allegedly found an ambulance attending to Kashipolo, who was wounded in his leg. He was shown a revolver and a cellular phone by the police officers, which had allegedly been thrown away by the accused. Ndokosho further testified he visited Kashipolo, who was hospitalised at the Windhoek Central Hospital. The accused allegedly informed him that Nomongula was driving the getaway car - a metallic blue BMW - and added that the police later found the vehicle at the City Police headquarters with a firearm in it. According to him the accused initially told him that the vehicle belonged to an Otjiherero-speaking man residing at a house in Shanghai Street, but when they visited the house, no man living there owned a car. He said that Nomongula was later arrested at the Windhoek Central Prison, while he was in custody for another offence.