Namibia Armed Robbery Trial to Begin in November

Four men have been indicted in what is believed to be the largest diamond heist in Namibia’s history; their cases, in which they will be tried for seven main charges and six additional alternative charges, will go to trial in November at the High Court in Windhoek, according to AllAfrica.com.

The men are accused of having been involved in an armed robbery in which a cache of mining gravel with approximately 1,692 carats of rough diamonds was stolen from Namdeb’s Daberas mine in the Oranjemund district on November 10, 2003. The stolen rough was valued at N$6.23 million (US$774,311).

The defendants – Petrus Nujoma Kapia, 34, a former Namdeb cook, Amon Ndjukuma, 39, Elvis Nixon Tangeni Kalipi, 34 and Gabriel Namupolo, 33 – are charged with two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, attempted murder, crossing the Namibian border at an unauthorized location, two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Defense lawyers for the four have indicated that the men will plead not guilty to all charges.

A total of 440 unpolished diamonds were recovered, out of the estimated 1 941 stones that had been stolen during the alleged robbery, according to the indictment.