Africa-Press – Namibia. TWO inmates at the Windhoek Correctional Facility allegedly stole a car with a bogus proof of payment, and sold it for N$33 000.
According to deputy commissioner general Johannes Konjore, the prisoners sold the car, a Chevrolet Corsa, using a cellphone that was smuggled into the facility.
The car owner, whose name is known to The Namibian but who anonymity, said he advertised the vehicle on Facebook, which was seen by the inmates, who allegedly said they were based at Keetmanshoop.
They then contacted him to purchase the vehicle, instructing him to take it to one of their girlfriends’ uncles, a so-called pastor.
The owner told The Namibian that the inmates provided him with proof of their payment for the vehicle, and said as the money came from a different bank it would take a few days to reflect in his account.
They, however, provided him with false proof of payment and allegedly sent someone to act as a mechanic to collect the vehicle for some ‘panel beating’.
In the meantime, the inmates tried to resell the vehicle on Facebook.
The owner became suspicious on 3 December and contacted his bank, but was informed of a network issue causing some payments to take longer than usual.
After showing the bank the proof of payment they informed him something was amiss and that they could not help him.
He says he then went to the pastor’s house to collect his car, but was informed that a ‘mechanic’ had picked it up.
Meanwhile, a police officer from Rundu, who prefers to remain anonymous, on Monday expressed interest in the vehicle and quickly made a payment of N$33 000.
He was promised the vehicle’s documents would be sent to him from Otavi.
The documents never arrived and the victim’s cousin, who looked at the car in Windhoek, then went to City Police when one of the inmates volunteered to refund him with the full amount.
“The car was stolen from someone else using false proof of payment, and was resold in the same week,” the police officer’s cousin says.
The Namibia Correctional Services became aware of the incident last Wednesday after the involved inmates allegedly started fighting over the money.
The victims were then contacted and both got their belongings and money back.
“Luckily for us, all the money was recovered. One of the inmates who was involved volunteered to refund the money,” the police officer’s cousin said.
The car owner says he is grateful to have received his money.
“I thank Mr Armas from the police,” he says.
City Police spokesperson Cillie Kapolo says they are aware of the incident, but cannot provide further details.
“Such an incident happened, but it is still under investigation,” she says.
Konjore is pleading with the public to stop smuggling cellphones into correctional facilities.
“It causes a lot of problems in correctional facilities. Here, we have proof of what they can do with cellphones,” he says.
Konjore says the inmates stabbed each other while fighting over the incident, but are in a stable condition and have been isolated from the other inmates.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing, he says.
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