Short: Court rules in favour of Esau in asset restraint order

Former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau has scored a legal victory in the Supreme Court, which ruled in his favour by dismissing an appeal by the Prosecutor General to block his access to restrained assets.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on 30 April and upheld a prior High Court decision that granted Esau permission to tap into part of his frozen assets to fund his legal defence in the high-profile Fishrot corruption case.

Esau's legal representative, Florian Beukes confirmed the development to Namibian Sun.

“The Prosecutor General appealed the High Court’s ruling, but the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal.

This means Mr Esau will now have access to funds for his legal fees.”

Esau's assets have been restrained since his arrest in 2019, following allegations that he unlawfully abused his ministerial position to enrich himself and others through unlawful fishing quota allocations.

The case is part of the broader Fishrot scandal, Namibia’s biggest corruption case.

The Supreme Court’s decision marks a crucial step in Esau’s ongoing efforts to secure proper legal representation as he faces multiple charges, including corruption, fraud, and money laundering.

- RITA KAKELO