Valombola granted bail

WINDHOEK, 31 MAY  – Likius Valombola, who was arrested earlier this month for allegedly shooting a young man during a road rage incident, has been granted bail.
The 53-year-old Valombola, who is the Commissioner for Refugees in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration, was on Thursday granted bail of N.dollars 15 000 upon the conclusion of his formal bail application which he brought before court on Monday.
Windhoek Magistrate Antonius Shapumba ordered his release after the prosecution presented poor and contradictory evidence against the granting of bail.
The bail was granted with the condition that Valombola inform the Windhoek Police whenever he intends to leave the district of Windhoek.
“The prosecution did not present prima facie evidence showing that the applicant might directly or indirectly interfere with police investigations by way of contacting the prosecution witnesses,” Shapumba said.
The magistrate went on to say the evidence before court further showed that the applicant was not the aggressor during the incident and fully cooperated with the police shortly after the incident.
“He was also not aware that one of the two warning shots he fired struck a bystander,” he said as he granted bail.
The court also came to the conclusion that the evidence presented by senior police officer Rector Sandema and police investigating officer Moses Shivolo did not help the State’s case against the granting of bail because it was “poor, biased and full of contradictions”.
In addition, a peaceful demonstration held by friends and relatives of the deceased, Helao Ndjaba, was also “poorly organised because the group did not hand over a petition to the authorities against the granting of bail”.
Valombola allegedly shot and wounded Ndjaba on the night of 20 May 2018 during a heated argument in the Ombili residential area of Katutura.
The 25-year-old Ndjaba was shot once in the forehead with a pistol and succumbed to his injuries at the Katutura State Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit on 28 May.
Initially, Valombola was unprocedurally released from custody on 20 May after he spent four hours in the holding cells of the Wanaheda Police Station.
He was then re-arrested on 23 May while on an official mission in the Kunene Region and brought back to Windhoek for his first court appearance on Monday.
Local defence lawyer Sisa Namandje represented Valombola, while Senior Public Prosecutor Arie Husselmann appeared for the State.
Valombola’s murder case was on Thursday remanded until 31 July 2018, pending further police investigations.

NAMPA