Namdia slaps G4S with N$314m lawsuit over January heist
G4S accused of security breaches
Namdia accuses the security company of having a hand in the heist after one of its employees was charged with theft in connection to the crime.
Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) has launched legal proceedings against security company G4S, seeking N$314 million in damages for the loss of 446 parcels of diamonds following an 18 January robbery at the company's premises.The particulars of claim, dated 20 August, say Namdia and G4S entered into a written agreement around May 2024 under which G4S was contracted to provide 24-hour, seven-days-a-week remote monitoring and armed-response services to Namdia’s Windhoek premises for an initial period of 36 months.
The document sets out express and implied terms of that written agreement, including a 30-day notice provision for termination.
According to the filing, on 18 January, an unknown number of individuals unlawfully gained entry to the Namdia property and, “in the wake of two fatalities following the commotion”, 446 parcels of diamonds that were in Namdia’s lawful possession were stolen.
The filing describes the event as “the heist”.
The estimated value of the stolen diamonds is N$314 million, according to the lawsuit filed by Namdia’s lawyers.
Namdia’s claims
Namdia’s claim alleges that G4S breached the written agreement and was negligent in the performance of the security services it had been contracted to provide.
The lawsuit further alleges that G4S, through a designated employee identified as Samuel Shipanga, “was complicit in the heist”, and the filing states that the employee has since been arrested and charged in relation to the incident.
The document frames these points as allegations contained in the pleadings.
As a result, Namdia is now seeking payment of N$314 million from G4S for the unprecedented January diamond heist at its Windhoek offices.
In addition to the principal claim, Namdia is also asking the High Court to award interest at a rate of 20% per annum on the amount, calculated from the date of judgment until the date of final payment. The company further prays for costs of suit to be borne by the defendant and for any further and/or alternative relief the court may deem appropriate.
Namdia is represented by Gilroy Kasper of Murorua Kurtz Kasper Inc.
Background
The Namdia diamond heist, one of Namibia’s most audacious and tragic robberies, took place in January at the Namdia headquarters in Windhoek. The heist resulted in the theft of large volumes of diamonds and led to the deaths of Namdia security executive Francis Eiseb and one of the suspects, Max Endjala.
In the aftermath, multiple arrests were made, including that of Joel Angula, a Namdia security officer, and three family members – George Cloete, his wife Charmaine and his brother Bino – after authorities reportedly took note of their sudden and unexplained wealth, including daily purchases of houses and vehicles.
As of March, only diamonds worth N$40.6 million had been recovered, with a significant portion of the stolen gems remaining unaccounted for. Investigations revealed that some of the stolen diamonds were smuggled across the border into South Africa.