Former Chief Inspector in the Namibian Police and Head of the Serious Crime Unit, Oscar Sheehama, has reiterated that contrary to perception and hearsay, he had no hand in the death of the late corruption accused, Lazarus Kandara. 
Sheehama is the police officer who gave instructions for Kandara to be taken to his house - to collect medication - following his arrest and hours before the latter succumbed to a gunshot wound in front of a police station in the city, on August 24, 2005.
Now a law graduate and ordinary civilian, Sheehama shared these sentiments with Confidente amid the resurgence of the ‘who killed Kandara’ debate - in the wake of the demise of Namibia’s founding President, Dr. Sam Nujoma. 
The Avid corruption scandal, which involved the misappropriation of N$30 million from the Social Security Commission of Namibia which were invested in bank accounts belonging to Avid Investments between December 2004 and August 2005, rocked the nation during president Nujoma’s last tenure as head of state. Kandara was the Chief Executive Officer of Avid Investments, while numerous ruling party bigwigs served on the company’s board. With his arrest, speculations were rife that Kandara was going to ‘spill the beans’ on key public figures and their involvement in the Avid saga. 
“There is this dark cloud about the death of Kandara and what may have happened that day that is still hovering over my head, with allegations that he may have been assassinated and that I was part of it. I want to put these rumours to bed by stating that I did not kill Kandara,” Sheehama said. 
He maintained that while many were ‘cooking up’ stories in which he was depicted as a villain, he in fact, was a victim as he had to endure unjust interrogations and a suspension without pay . These accusations and his entire work environment having gone toxic is what led to him eventually leaving the force, despite being exonerated of any guilt by the High Court after he challenged his suspension against former Inspector general of the Namibian police, Sebastian Ndeitunga.  
Through his lawyers, Sheehama further argued that the suspension was invalid because he was denied the right to be heard, which is a fundamental human right issue.
“I became the scapegoat. I suffered so much victimisation to the point that I had to opt out of the force. My whole life changed for the worse as a result,” he revealed this week.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE  

Meanwhile, sources close to the issue have it that ‘the Kandara saga was the first ruthless political weapon used by Nujoma’s fellow SWAPO political opponents to discredit the founding father.’
According to the source, Nujoma’s detractors strategically wanted to use and abuse the late Kandara to paint a fatal picture about Nuuyoma in their then fight for the demise of what was referred to as the “Nujoma’s Omusati clique” - which took massive shape towards the last quarter of Nujoma’s tenure in the presidency.
“It was really bad. People manning political offices, intelligence and security clusters, churches, [as well as] the business community were pierced into a disarray, disunity or/and division. It became very personal and all odds were at play including but not limited to abuse of policing, cabinet, judiciary,etc. SWAPO was almost cut into two camps one for and against Nujoma and Hidipo respectively but worse, these camps were aligned along tribal and ethical divides,” another source added. 
“Personally, save for the false narrative about some of us’ perceived involvement and roles in the AVID-SCC investigations and, particularly the events preceding Kandara’s death, I still hold the late Kandara in high esteem for various reasons about his personal and professional attributes, ethics, values, etc.,” one of the sources said. 
“I will stand by my point that had AVID-SCC not been mishandled and used as a conduit to settle political crises by and between politicians, Kandara would not have taken such an awful decision to end his life as he did,” another chipped in. 
According to these sources, Kandara killed himself for two major reasons: the feeling of betrayal his confidants, particularly his legal team who convinced him to return from South Africa - having left Namibia before the drama and determined to stay in there until he could safe return of the SSC monies from the rogue investors.
The reason for the suicide, according to sources was that, since he considered himself a God fearing, principle and respectable man be accused of and worse arrested for corruption was an abomination.  

THROWN INTO DEEP END

Sheehama was seemingly not the only one to have been shaken to the core by the matter. Ndeitunga in an interview prior to his retirement, told media reports that the Kandara saga threw him into the deep end.
Merely three months on the job, Ndeitunga had to explain to the public how suspect, accused of corruption and under police protection, managed to kill himself with his own gun in front of the Windhoek Police Station.
He told media reports that he was not at the court, but was in constant contact with the officer who was handling Kandara. However, according to him, the back-to-back conversations ceased briefly before he came into the city, suggesting the time when the said officer allegedly took Kandara home, for fresh clothes and bedding in preparation for police custody.
“I didn’t know the officer took the decision upon himself, beyond his authority, to take the suspect to his house,” Ndeitunga reportedly said.
Information gathered at the scene and reported by the media suggest that upon arrival at the police station, Kandara had asked to go to the toilet. He then, allegedly, pulled out the gun and aimed it at the three police officers who were escorting him. As they sparred with him, he is said to have turned the gun on himself.
Kandara was alive when paramedics arrived at the scene at around 22h39, but his injuries were too extensive to resuscitate him.

TAKING KANDARA HOME

Court documents seen by Confidente suggest that prior to Kandara’s death, Ndeitunga had instructed Sheehama to lead criminal investigations relating to allegations that emerged from the section 417 inquiry proceedings under the Companies Act. The inquiry was in connection with the provisional liquidation of the Avid Investment Corporation (Avid), following the disappearance of an investment of N$30 million by the Social Security Commission.
Kandara, who was the central figure in the inquiry proceedings, commenced giving his testimony on August 23, 2005, which continued on the next day. Court documents suggest that, shortly after a late afternoon adjournment by the High Court on August 24, and, acting on the instructions of then Nampol Inspector General, Sebastian Ndeitunga, Sergeant Linekela Hilundua, whose immediate supervisor was Sheehama, arrested Kandara on charges of fraud and theft of N$30 million. The arrest was made in the presence of Sheehama, amongst other people. 
“Thereafter, Mr Kandara had discussions with Mr Lucius Murorua, his legal representative, in the presence of Mr Dirk Conradie, a legal practitioner. What transpired shortly afterwards is not clear. According to the applicant [Sheehama], he was approached by Mr Murorua with a request to allow Mr Kandara to be taken home to fetch some medication as the latter was suffering from high blood pressure and other ailments. However, Mr Murorua disputes having made such a request,” court documents read. 
Meanwhile, Hilundua, according to court documents, stated that it was Kandara who requested Sheehama, in the presence of his two lawyers, to be taken home for the purpose of fetching his tablets, toiletries and to change clothes.
Sheehama asserted in his founding affidavit that it was on the basis of the request by Kandara’s legal representative that he, after making all necessary arrangements, “tasked” three of his subordinates, namely: Sergeants Linekela Hilundua and Jacky Kantema and Constable Chaolin Tjitemisa - who have since died in an unrelated incident - “to take Mr Kandara to his house to obtain his medication and the doctor’s prescription and to return with him to the police station within thirty minutes.” 
Concurring with Ndeitunga’s assertion he did not obtain permission before giving instructions that Kandara be taken home Sheehama maintained that it is correct. He however maintained that such permission was “not necessary.” 
Sheehama added that Ndeitunga did not refer to any standing instruction or regulation in support of his point in that regard. 
“I further point out that in the very investigation a certain Mr Nico Josea was arrested for the same reason as Mr Kandara. He was in my presence taken to his residence as well as to the offices of the provisional liquidators and even once to his lawyer’s office whilst under arrest. No permission was necessary for this. My unit in other cases on a regular basis takes arrested suspects to their homes or elsewhere, such as to hospitals or their lawyers,” Sheehama told the courts.

SUICIDE RULING

In March 2007, then retired magistrate Frikkie Truter returned to the bench to rule that the deceased killed himself with his own gun, in front of the Windhoek Police Station. He said this while making an announcement at the inquest into Kandara’s death in the Windhoek Magistrate court.
Truter revealed that after studying written evidence from more than 40 witnesses, he concluded that Kandara committed suicide. 
He added that while nobody saw him taking the gun, it was clear that Kandara took and used it. This, in line with his wife’s testimony that Kandara ‘kept his pistol under his t-shirts in the wardrobe.’ 
“According to me, the death was not brought about by any act or omission prima facie involving or amounting to an offence on the part of any person,” the magistrate said. 
He added that the cause of death was a shot wound in the chest, which ruptured the heart.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Following his departure from the force, Sheehama ventured into various businesses, including owning a security company, while pursuing a law degree, and is now rendering his services to other state agencies of the state.
He is now putting together a ‘tell all’ book on his involvement in the Avid corruption case in which he says, there will be no holds barred. 
“The rumour mill is in overdrive all over again. I need to clear my name once and for all,” Sheehama said.