CEO Suspended after Namdia Diamond Raid

(IDEX Online) - The CEO and two other senior figures at Namdia, Namibia's state-run diamond marketing company, have been suspended pending an inquiry into last month's high-value heist, in which a security supervisor was killed.

Namdia issued a statement saying CEO Alisa Amupolo, chief operations officer Uahoroka Kauta, and security manager Paulinus Sheyapo had been suspended while it conducted what it called a "comprehensive and robust internal investigation".

It said it wanted to determine the sequence of events leading up to the crime and to prevent any future attempt to breach security.

Raiders struck at Namdia's HQ in Windhoek on 18 January as it prepared to sell its largest ever consignment of rough diamonds, reportedly worth $17.5m (N$318m).

Namdia's security supervisor Francis "Gosh" Eiseb, aged 57, died of a gunshot wound after he was called to attend the incident and staff members were bound and threatened.

The timing of the attack prompted widespread speculation that it was "an inside job" and there were reports that Namdia had failed to upgrade security despite warnings it could be a target.

Namibia's opposition leader McHenry Venaasni called at the time for the suspension of the entire Namdia board of directors and executives.

In a statement Namdia's board of directors said: "We assure you the decision to suspend these team members was not taken lightly. However, the investigation and recovery processes must now run its course.

"At this stage we have no reason to suspect any Namdia employees apart from the suspect already in custody, the Namdia Board has decided to take this urgent precautionary step in the business's best interests as well as to protect the integrity of both the executives and the investigation."

Pic shows Namdia's suspended CEO Alisa Amupolo.