Renthia Kaimbi
A 23-year-old man is due to appear in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court today after his arrest for making a false statement under oath and attempting to defraud an insurance company.
Erongo police said the arrest serves as a warning against the deliberate misreporting of crimes.
The case dates back to Saturday at about 16h51, when the man reported to the Mondesa Police Station.
According to police, he made a sworn statement before a Commissioner of Oaths, alleging unknown suspects had broken into his house.
In his statement, he reported the theft of a refrigerator, a four-plate stove, an HP laptop, and a microwave oven. The statement was recorded under a separate docket.
Police investigations later showed that the man submitted a copy of the sworn statement to Home Corp Insurance in an attempt to claim N$18,300.
The report raised suspicion when officers visited the alleged crime scene. Investigators found no signs of forced entry or housebreaking, which contradicted the details in the report.
Further investigations led police to the room of the suspect’s aunt. Officers recovered some of the items he had reported as stolen.
Police said the discovery confirmed that the burglary report was false. The man was arrested and charged with contravening Section 9 of the Commissioner of Oaths Act 16 of 1963, with an alternative charge of perjury.
Following the arrest, the Namibian Police issued a public warning.
“We would like to strongly caution members of the public against making false reports, providing misleading information to the police, or attempting to defraud insurance companies,” the statement said.
The police said such acts are serious criminal offences that will be investigated, with offenders facing arrest and prosecution.
The police urged the public to report crimes honestly and cooperate with law enforcement, emphasising that false reports divert resources from genuine cases.
The suspect remains in custody pending his court appearance later today.
