Staff Reporter
THE Namib Desert Diamonds (Pty) Ltd, a state-owned diamond trading company, has said that, based on the evidence currently at hand, no employees other than the arrested security officer were involved in the heist that resulted in the theft of diamonds worth millions.
The diamond marketing and trading company, which has broken its silence for the first time on the diamond heist that occurred on 18 January 2025, made the above remarks amidst the suspension of its top management while internal investigations take their course.
The Board of Directors, in a statement issued, said that they passed a resolution over the weekend to temporarily suspend CEO Dr. Alisa Amupolo, Chief Operations Officer (COO) Uahoroka Kauta, and Security Manager Paulinus Sheyapo.
The Board announced that Lelly Usiku has been appointed interim CEO to ensure business continuity and that all mandates are delivered with excellence.
Usiku, an economist by training and an experienced executive at NAMDIA, has acted in the role of CEO before and has the complete confidence and support of the Board.
The brazen and orchestrated robbery led to the tragic loss of life of a NAMDIA employee, Mr. Francis Eiseb, with two suspects in custody and one deceased.
The Board said that this incident has deeply affected the entire NAMDIA family and the country at large.
They added that, as part of the ongoing recovery process following the robbery, NAMDIA is conducting a comprehensive and robust internal investigation to determine the sequence of events leading up to the crime and to prevent any future attempts to breach security.
“We assure you the decision to suspend these team members was not taken lightly. However, the investigation and recovery processes must now run their course. At this stage, we have no reason to suspect any NAMDIA employees apart from the suspect already in custody. The NAMDIA Board has decided to take this urgent precautionary step in the business’s best interests, as well as to protect the integrity of both the executives and the investigation. As we chart a course through these tragic events, the investigation and recovery process must be concluded as quickly as possible. We believe this is the right decision in the circumstances and will prevent any questions being asked about the independence or integrity of the process once it is complete,” the Board said.
It concluded that it has complete confidence in the interim CEO to ensure the business remains firmly on course.
“We also wish to take this opportunity to assure our esteemed clients and stakeholders that our commitment to transparency, integrity, and operational security remains steadfast,” concluded the Board.
