Officer investigated for allegedly smuggling ‘punyapunya’ into holding cells

Police in the Oshana Region are investigating a female colleague who allegedly smuggled Tassenberg dry red wine - popularly known as ‘punyapunya’ - and cigarettes to a male inmate at the Ondangwa police holding cells.Oshana’s regional police commander, Commissioner Naftal Sakaria, confirmed the incident, saying the officer is under investigation.The officer, a bailiff based at the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court, allegedly smuggled the wine and cigarettes to a suspect in custody at the town. He added that all officers who engage in such unethical conduct are held accountable under the provisions of the Police Act, which governs police behaviour. “Regarding this particular officer, instructions were already clear. The Ondangwa station, I am sure, is already taking action to charge the officer in accordance with the provisions of [the Act]. We are addressing the situation, and the officer will be charged for such conduct,” he told Namibian Sun.The officer was identified as Victoria Nghililewanga. She could, however, not be reached for comment.Recurring problemSakaria confirmed that several officers have been implicated in such behaviour, and the Oshana police are moving quickly to crack down on this misconduct.“Now, we have police officers supplying inmates with contraband, whether in the cells or at court, including in this specific case. Several officers have been charged with supplying contraband to inmates. This is the behaviour we are actively working to discourage by taking action whenever such behaviour occurs,” Sakaria said.He highlighted that smuggling has been a recurring problem within the police force and that records show multiple incidents where officers have been caught sneaking prohibited items into cells or passing them to suspects during court appearances.Sakaria further bemoaned overcrowding in holding cells, saying this has made it difficult to detect the supply of contraband to inmates in a timely manner.According to him, while the cells were intended as temporary holding areas, the lack of remand facilities has forced authorities to use them as long-term detention spaces, leading to overcrowding and other challenges. “We are forced to keep these inmates in police holding cells, which are all overcrowded,” he said.He also slammed the unethical behavior of some officers.nikanor@erongo.com.na

Officer investigated for allegedly smuggling ‘punyapunya’ into holding cells

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-05

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Officer investigated for allegedly smuggling ‘punyapunya’ into holding cells

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-05

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