Admin stumbling blocks in Fishrot case

Marc Springer WINDHOEKMore than 18 months after their arrest, the 10 people charged in connection with the so-called Fishrot scandal are still awaiting a date for the start of their trial, with administrative issues continuing to take centre stage in the case.At another pre-trial hearing held before Judge Christie Liebenberg in the Windhoek High Court yesterday, the State and defence made some progress when they managed to agree on dates for the filing of papers and the hearing of a joinder application brought by prosecutor Ed Marondeze.In that application, the prosecution seeks to combine two cases connected to alleged corruption relating to the allocation of fishing quotas, which are being dealt with separately at this stage.With some of the accused’s attorneys opposing that request, a separate hearing for the joinder application became necessary.An agreement was reached yesterday that the hearing is now scheduled to take place on 12 July to determine the way forward.As on previous occasions, attorney Richard Metcalfe again raised concerns about the fact that - almost 19 months after their arrest - the accused still have no date for the start of the trial, suggesting that the State’s investigation into the matter seems incomplete. Metcalfe further told the court that a list of witnesses allegedly scheduled to testify in the upcoming trial was circulating on social media and that he was contacted by two of those witnesses, informing him that they did not give statements to the police or the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yet.PaymasterAccording to him, he only learnt from the media that a request for extradition of three Icelandic nationals was refused and that there was no indication yet whether or when lawyer Marén de Klerk would be extradited from South Africa.De Klerk is suspected of being the paymaster in the Fishrot matter, while Icelanders Egill Helgi Arnason, Ingvar Juliusson and Helgason Adalsteinn are charged as representatives of Saga Seafood, Esja Investment and Heinaste Investments as well as in their personal capacities.Icelandic authorities have also indicated that no extradition of their citizens will take place.The accused, which include former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau, his son-in-law Tamson Hatuikulipi, James Hatuikulipi as well as Ricardo Gustavo, are charged with corruption, fraud, racketeering, money laundering and other offences related to the use of fishing quotas allocated to Namgomar Pesca Namibia and utilised by Islandic companies. In the other case, now set to be combined with the Namgomar matter, former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, Pius Mwatelulo, Esau, James and Tamson, former Fishcor boss Mike Nghipunya, Otneel Shuudifonya and Phillipus Mwapopi are also facing similar charges connected to fishing quotas allocated to Fishcor and used by Islandic companies.

Admin stumbling blocks in Fishrot case

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-15

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Admin stumbling blocks in Fishrot case

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Namibian Sun 2025-08-15

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