Police investigations heads have been accused of interference and allegedly releasing a colleague’s son from custody under questionable circumstances.

The Head of the Namibian Police Force’s (NamPol) Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Commissioner Moritz !Naruseb and his deputy Gavin Kaura are at the centre of allegations that they used their power to circumvent procedure, meddling in a N.dollars 326 000 fraud investigation.

Police officers from the commercial crime investigations division, which falls under !Naruseb, claimed that !Naruseb insisted that two suspects arrested in connection with the alleged fraud be released without being formally charged and processed, while the formal paperwork was also not completed.

The two suspects, Zimbabwean national Patrice Urayeneza and Namibian accountant Joel Mwatongwe were arrested on 03 August 2021. The two were arrested for allegedly defrauding N.dollars 326 000 from an entity where Urayeneza is a shareholder. Urayeneza’s business partner Archie Mbakile was responsible for opening the fraud case with the police in 2020.

Joel Mwatongwe’s father is Chief Inspector John Mwatongwe, who is based in the Erongo Region. Police sources suspect that !Naruseb’s insistence on the release of the two suspects is linked to the fact that John Mwatongwe is his colleague.

Mwatongwe denied any involvement in his son’s arrest or subsequent release.

“I have not heard about it. I am not in Windhoek. I did not give any instruction to have my son released. I only spoke to my son after he was released and he explained to me what happened. I never talked to anyone to release him. I don’t have a problem with the arrest. The court can decide,” Mwatongwe said upon inquiry on Thursday.

According to information at hand, Mbakile went to the police after allegedly discovering that his business partner, Urayeneza stole N.dollars 326 000 from their business Native Bricks (PTY) LTD, using Joel Mwatongwe’s assistance as the company’s accountant and bookkeeper.

Mwatongwe last year reportedly moved the money to an entity called Squeral Investments, owned by Urayeneza.

When Mbakile queried the transfer of funds, Mwatongwe allegedly said he was acting on instructions from Urayeneza. Mbakile then opened a criminal case in August last year and police investigations led to an arrest 12 months later.

Meanwhile, those responsible for the arrests feel that their hard work over 12 months has gone down the drain.

“How can we work so hard, for many hours, gather all the facts and arrest the suspects just for us to be instructed to release them, just like that,” the officer who preferred anonymity added.

After their release from custody, the suspects allegedly could not wait to inform Mbakile that they are untouchable.

“You thought you will send me to jail[?] Never in your dreams! General [Sebastian Ndeitunga] [and] !Naruseb are my people. They listen to my lawyer [Mhata] Nambili and there is nothing you can do foolish foreigner. Who do you think Ndeitunga’s lawyer is…I am out and will never go to jail,” the two suspects, in a text seen by this agency, purportedly say to Mbakile, which could not be verified.

Efforts to solicit comments from Ndeitunga and !Naruseb were futile as their cellphones went unanswered.

Contacted about the matter, police spokesperson Kaunapawa Shikwambi justified the release of the two suspects.

“At this point in time, there are financial investigations pending on this matter and it is directed that those crucial issues be concluded and the case file submitted before the Office of the Prosecutor-General for decision.”

Shikwambi downplayed insinuations by those in the commercial crime investigations division that the suspects received preferential treatment.

“Financial investigations of this nature are sophisticated and have to be investigated before an arrest is carried out. The information from you that one of the suspects is the son of Chief Inspector Mwatongwe is a malicious allegation and not relevant to the fact that the pending investigation on this matter be concluded before the case is submitted to prosecution for decision,” she said.

Source: Namibia Press Agency