Former Guard Accused of Stealing From GIPF

Tunomukwathi Asino

18 May 2011

Windhoek — A case in which a former security guard stole nine central processing units (CPUs) and a laptop around 02h00 on Saturday has been postponed to July 21 for further investigations and to enable the accused to get legal representation.

The case was heard in Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Deputy commissioner Andreas Nelumbu showed the recovered CPUs to the media on Monday.

Simeon Thomas Amulungu, a former security guard at the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) allegedly broke into the institution’s offices and stole nine central processing units (CPUs) and a laptop around 02h00 on Saturday.

He remains in police custody. The state objected to him being granted bail. Aron David, the chief of security at GIPF, informed New Era on Sunday that the suspect allegedly broke into the building through the back door, which is not used much, except for emergencies.

Simeon was arrested at around 05h00 on Saturday, after Namibian Police officers spotted him with the equipment. Security guards at GIPF reported the matter to the police and case No. CR 428/05/11 was opened against Simeon.

Surveillance cameras at GIPF showed Simeon entering the building. A CPU is a piece of a computer system that carries out instructions of a computer and stores memory. David does not suspect an inside job.

He said that when the police questioned Simeon, he informed them that he was working with Angolan nationals. GIPF’s manager for corporate communications, Elvis Nashilongo, confirmed the theft.

Speaking to New Era from South Africa on Sunday, Nashilongo said he could not give details as he had just received a phone call and had not got the full story.

Nashilongo also downplayed suspicions of an inside job, and whether the theft was linked to any of the notorious loans that GIPF dished out.

He said if that were the case, the suspect would have broken into the computer room. “Probably it was just a person ‘looking’ for computers. Only individual people’s offices were broken into,” he said.

The CPUs were stolen mostly from the first floor, which houses the marketing and communications office.

Simeon is allegedly no stranger to pocketing from GIPF. David informed New Era that he was fired from GIPF for allegedly stealing a camera and money last year. Magistrate Ingrid Unengu presided over the case, while Esme Molefe prosecuted.

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