Hertta-Maria Amutenja
A total of 20 members of the Namibian Police Force have been charged with drug-related crimes while 10 others have been charged with murder over the last three years.
This is according to Namibian Police Inspector General, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, who disclosed that over the past three years, 20 cases involving drug-related offences have been lodged against members of the Namibian Police Force.
Three of those police officers have been found guilty by the courts and convicted, while a staggering number of 17 cases remain pending on court dockets nationwide.
Shikongo emphasised the seriousness with which such allegations against police officers are being addressed, and nobody is treated with kids’ gloves.
“The Police Conduct and Investigation Directorate is mandated to investigate all offences and alleged offences as well as complaints against the members of the Force. All cases are investigated impartially and unbiased to ensure transparency prevails,” said Shikongo.
Adding that 10 murder cases involving members of the police force have been reported within the same time frame, bringing the total number to 30 police officers charged with serious offences.
Of these cases, five are currently undergoing legal proceedings, two remain under investigation, and three have been dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Shikongo highlighted the measures taken to maintain the integrity of the police force, stating, that there are procedures that are taken to determine if the member can continue with the duty he or she is entrusted with.
“It must be noted that after a member is found guilty of any schedule one offence, a board of fitness is convened as per Section 8 (1) of the Police Act, Act 19/1990 to determine his or her fitness to remain in the force,” he explained.
Shikongo said efforts to educate and sensitise officers about the legal and ethical consequences of criminal involvement are also underway.
“The Police Conduct and Investigation Directorate is mandated to investigate all offences and alleged offences as well as complaints against the members of the Force 10/8/5 and all cases are investigated impartially and unbiased to ensure transparency prevail. Public Awareness and Education Campaigns are conducted to sensitise the members on the consequences of involving themselves in criminal activities,” Shikongo affirmed.
In the 2022/23 financial year, The Namibian Police recorded 154 officers who were arrested for committing various crimes, of which 146 are male and eight are female.
According to Police Spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, during the period under review, 152 were released on bail and investigations are ongoing while two are still in custody.
Shikwambi stressed that 722 cases were registered, with the most prevalent cases being: reckless and negligent driving, followed by common assault, assault of gender-based violence, theft and assault through threatening and some of these cases are still under investigation.
