OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Monday 9.30pm.
SOUTH African police will not interfere with a Namibian investigation into last Wednesday’s R60-million heist attempt at Karibib, 180km north-east of Windhoek, police director Reg Crewe said on Monday.
The suspects arrested after the failed heist include three South Africans: Edward John Matjabane, Jacob Dugmore Sago and Mangaliso Peter Sebatlang, a former policeman who has a court case pending in Kimberley.
One of South Africa’s most wanted criminals, Colin Chauke, was thought to be one of the suspects arrested, but this suspicion proved to be unfounded. On Sunday a Namibian police spokesman said a fingerprint check had ruled out that the South African fugitive was among those arrested.
“We will assist the Namibian police if asked to do so,” Crewe said, “but the South African suspects will probably have to stand trial in Namibia. Its out of our hands now, we’re just waiting for the return of the two officials who went to Namibia to make absolutely certain that Chauke was not one of the suspects.”
Director of the Special investigation Bushie Engelbrecht explained there were various options regarding Sebatlang’s Kimberly case, which was due to start on Tuesday.
“The attorneys-general of Namibia and South Africa could discuss the possibility of extradition before the trial, or they could sentence him to a jail term in that country and allow him to serve it in South Africa, or he could end up in jail there.”
Engelbrecht said Namibian police investigators were of the opinion that they had a very strong case against all the heist suspects. “So it seems unlikely that any of the South Africans will be extradited, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The case was postponed in the Karibib Magistrate’s Court until November 4 to allow for further investigation.