Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Eliaser Ndeyanale
Published on 2024-03-18 17:00:00
Police in Otjiwarongo are currently investigating a senior officer from the Criminal Investigations Unit for allegedly stealing a confiscated passport and giving it to a suspect to travel to South Africa and back. The officer in question, Ursula Mulongwane, is accused of assisting Joao-Quinn Amado, an Angolan national facing fraud charges, in traveling to and from South Africa on January 12th and 13th of this year.
Maureen Mbeha, the senior inspector and police spokesperson in Otjozondjupa, has confirmed receiving the allegations from the Otjiwarongo Magistrate’s Court. A criminal case for the theft of the passport has been registered at the Otjiwarongo Police Station, and internal investigations are currently being conducted by the police conduct investigation subdivision to determine the facts of the case.
According to reports, Amado traveled via the Noordoewer border post to South Africa. He was initially arrested on fraud charges related to the sale of a vehicle in December 2023 and was granted bail with the condition that he surrender his passport to the investigating officer from the Criminal Investigations Unit. However, the passport went missing from the office a few days after being handed over to the investigating officer.
The investigating officer reported the disappearance of the passport to Mulongwane, who allegedly assured him that she would retrieve it. Unbeknownst to the investigating officer, Amado used the missing passport to travel from Namibia to South Africa. Travel records obtained from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security confirmed that the passport was used at the Noordoewer border post on January 12th and 13th, 2024.
After Amado returned to Otjiwarongo from South Africa, the passport was returned by the accused inspector. It was alleged that Mulongwane claimed to have received the passport from the unit commander, despite the fact that it had been seized by a court order. Efforts to reach Mulongwane for comment were unsuccessful, as she ended the call when questioned about the incident and did not respond to follow-up calls and messages.
Amado stated that he retrieved his passport on January 10th by contacting the inspector. He traveled to Cape Town on January 12th to deliver a car to someone who wanted to press charges against him. He returned the passport to the police on January 16th in preparation for a court appearance on January 18th. Amado emphasized that he did not pay anyone to retrieve his passport and that he did not want any trouble as he has a family in Otjiwarongo.
The situation remains under investigation, and further details will be disclosed once all facts are gathered and verified. The incident highlights the importance of upholding the integrity of law enforcement agencies and ensuring that confiscated items are handled and secured properly.
Read the original article on The Namibian
