Fugitive Malima allegedly bought Mulunga’s Audi Q8
State’s case emerges during cross-examination
Despite receiving N$53 million from Namcor for filling stations, Enercon maintains that the assets remain its property.
Victor Malima, the fugitive at the centre of Namibia’s explosive fuel corruption scandal, allegedly bought a luxury Audi Q8 for former Namcor managing director Immanuel Mulunga using proceeds from a shady multimillion-dollar Namcor-Enercon deal, the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday.
Malima, who is believed to have fled to Angola last week just before a stop notice to bar him from crossing the border could be uploaded to the immigration system, is accused of receiving N$9.5 million from Enercon Namibia via his company, EcoTrading.
The company is now suspected of having served as a financial conduit for personal enrichment and favours, including the flashy SUV allegedly handed to Mulunga and registered under a third party.
State prosecutor Basson Lilungwe claimed that EcoTrading not only paid for the vehicle but has also been footing its insurance costs.
The car is reportedly registered in the name of Hileni Kamati, while Mulunga is believed to have been the actual beneficiary of the luxury vehicle.
This revelation emerged during the formal bail hearing of Peter Elindi, the man behind Enercon, who insists he had “no knowledge” of how the funds paid to Malima’s EcoTrading, supposedly for supplying fuel to Enercon, were ultimately used.
“I was not in charge of EcoTrading. Victor Malima acted independently," Elindi testified.
"My role ended the moment the transfer was made,” he told the court under cross-examination, as he sought to distance himself from the unfolding corruption case.
Despite acknowledging close personal ties to Malima, who grew up in his house as a teenager, Elindi, through his lawyer Sisa Namandje, strongly denied any role in or knowledge of the financial dealings of EcoTrading.
The money trail
According to the state, the N$9.5 million formed part of an N$18.2 million tranche left over after Enercon and Namcor concluded a controversial N$53.2 million asset sale. Of this amount, N$35 million was redirected to Namcor to cover Enercon’s existing debt of about N$108 million.
However, authorities say some of the remaining funds were used to, among others, bribe Namcor executives for various favours, including exceeding credit limits to Enercon when it could no longer keep up with its fuel supply bills from Namcor.
Apart from the alleged Audi Q8 purchase, payments were made to companies such as Quality Meat Supplies and Panduleni Farming, linked to Namcor’s then chief financial officer Jennifer Hamukwaya and her husband Panduleni Hamukwaya.
Moreover, nearly a million dollars reportedly landed in the personal account of co-accused Cedric Willemse, Namcor’s then logistics and supply manager.
The prosecution claims that Willemse received N$960 000, while Panduleni Hamukwaya is alleged to have received N$500 000.
Defensive stance
Namandje yesterday lambasted the State for arresting his client “without a single clear charge” and accused the prosecution of “bluffing” its way through the bail opposition.
“You cannot arrest someone, parade them in court, and then try to figure out what charges to slap on them afterwards,” Namandje argued.
He demanded clarity on the actual charges Elindi faces, saying vague references to “ongoing investigations” are insufficient grounds to keep his client behind bars.
Dispute over assets
Elindi told the court he was not the sole owner of Enercon, a revelation that led the prosecution to argue he lacked the authority to finalise the sale of fuel assets to Namcor in the N$53 million deal.
State prosecutor Lilungwe asserted that August 26 Holdings, a company under the ministry of defence, held a 50% share in Enercon at the time of the deal. He asked why Enercon, which only owned the other half of the operations, sold its fuel stations to Namcor without the consent of its partner – August 26 Holdings.
In response, Namandje maintained that no clause required August 26’s consent for the sale to proceed.
Elindi could not produce documents confirming Enercon’s ownership of the assets sold to Namcor, although he claimed that an asset register does exist.
Despite Enercon receiving payment from Namcor, it emerged in court yesterday that the assets were never transferred to the state-owned oil company.
Malima, who is believed to have fled to Angola last week just before a stop notice to bar him from crossing the border could be uploaded to the immigration system, is accused of receiving N$9.5 million from Enercon Namibia via his company, EcoTrading.
The company is now suspected of having served as a financial conduit for personal enrichment and favours, including the flashy SUV allegedly handed to Mulunga and registered under a third party.
State prosecutor Basson Lilungwe claimed that EcoTrading not only paid for the vehicle but has also been footing its insurance costs.
The car is reportedly registered in the name of Hileni Kamati, while Mulunga is believed to have been the actual beneficiary of the luxury vehicle.
This revelation emerged during the formal bail hearing of Peter Elindi, the man behind Enercon, who insists he had “no knowledge” of how the funds paid to Malima’s EcoTrading, supposedly for supplying fuel to Enercon, were ultimately used.
“I was not in charge of EcoTrading. Victor Malima acted independently," Elindi testified.
"My role ended the moment the transfer was made,” he told the court under cross-examination, as he sought to distance himself from the unfolding corruption case.
Despite acknowledging close personal ties to Malima, who grew up in his house as a teenager, Elindi, through his lawyer Sisa Namandje, strongly denied any role in or knowledge of the financial dealings of EcoTrading.
The money trail
According to the state, the N$9.5 million formed part of an N$18.2 million tranche left over after Enercon and Namcor concluded a controversial N$53.2 million asset sale. Of this amount, N$35 million was redirected to Namcor to cover Enercon’s existing debt of about N$108 million.
However, authorities say some of the remaining funds were used to, among others, bribe Namcor executives for various favours, including exceeding credit limits to Enercon when it could no longer keep up with its fuel supply bills from Namcor.
Apart from the alleged Audi Q8 purchase, payments were made to companies such as Quality Meat Supplies and Panduleni Farming, linked to Namcor’s then chief financial officer Jennifer Hamukwaya and her husband Panduleni Hamukwaya.
Moreover, nearly a million dollars reportedly landed in the personal account of co-accused Cedric Willemse, Namcor’s then logistics and supply manager.
The prosecution claims that Willemse received N$960 000, while Panduleni Hamukwaya is alleged to have received N$500 000.
Defensive stance
Namandje yesterday lambasted the State for arresting his client “without a single clear charge” and accused the prosecution of “bluffing” its way through the bail opposition.
“You cannot arrest someone, parade them in court, and then try to figure out what charges to slap on them afterwards,” Namandje argued.
He demanded clarity on the actual charges Elindi faces, saying vague references to “ongoing investigations” are insufficient grounds to keep his client behind bars.
Dispute over assets
Elindi told the court he was not the sole owner of Enercon, a revelation that led the prosecution to argue he lacked the authority to finalise the sale of fuel assets to Namcor in the N$53 million deal.
State prosecutor Lilungwe asserted that August 26 Holdings, a company under the ministry of defence, held a 50% share in Enercon at the time of the deal. He asked why Enercon, which only owned the other half of the operations, sold its fuel stations to Namcor without the consent of its partner – August 26 Holdings.
In response, Namandje maintained that no clause required August 26’s consent for the sale to proceed.
Elindi could not produce documents confirming Enercon’s ownership of the assets sold to Namcor, although he claimed that an asset register does exist.
Despite Enercon receiving payment from Namcor, it emerged in court yesterday that the assets were never transferred to the state-owned oil company.
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