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Esau children directors in Hatuikulipi entity
Esau children directors in Hatuikulipi entity

Esau children directors in Hatuikulipi entity

Jemima Beukes
JEMIMA BEUKES



WINDHOEK

Two of former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau’s children were appointed as directors in a company in which James Hatuikulipi has interests just months after the disgraced former minister appointed the latter to chair the board of the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor).

Esau’s daughter Ndapandula Hatuikulipi and son Phillipus Esau were appointed as directors of Gwaniilonga Investments CC on 14 April 2015, a month after Esau had appointed Hatuikulipi to chair the Fishcor board on 19 March 2015. Hatuikulipi is cited on the registration papers as the contact person.

The company, formerly known as Karee 147, is part of the Omholo Group.

Documents indicate that the company operates in areas such as manufacturing, distribution, construction, import and export, property investment and farming.

Namibian Sun could, however, not confirm suspicions that there was a quid pro quo relationship as far as the board appointment and directorship appointments are concerned.

Ndapandula is married to her father’s fellow Fishrot accused Tamson Hatuikulipi, who is James Hatuikulipi’s cousin.

Hot potato

Namibian Sun understands that the bookkeepers of Gwaniilonga Investment - SGA Chartered Accountants and Auditors - dumped the company days before the Fishrot scandal made global headlines.

An official at the audit firm, Karen Dauth, telephonically confirmed that while she could not share the reason, it is likely because of non-responsiveness on the part of directors.

SGA’s resignation as auditors of Gwaaniilonga Investments occurred exactly two days before the first report on the Fishrot bribery scandal was published by Al Jazeera on 23 November 2019.

“We were the appointed auditors of Gwaaniilonga Investments, but resigned to the directors on 21 November 2019. We therefore do not have the documents in our possession for inspection,” she said.

‘Competent’ man

James Hatuikulipi has continuously maintained that Esau’s decision to appoint him as board chair in September 2014 has nothing to do with the fact that Tamson Hatuikulipi is his cousin.

“I am a very professional man. I am very competent too. I know a lot of people whom I do business with. They do not have to be my family. Even you could be my family, so please judge me by my competence and not by who I know,” he was quoted as saying by The Namibian in 2014 soon after his appointment.

Both Phillipus and Ndapandula referred questions to their lawyer Richard Metcalfe, who also happens to represent their father and Tamson Hatuikulipi.

Audit firms that dealt with files of companies linked to the ongoing Fishrot trial are facing increased pressure and calls for action to be taken against them for failing to report dubious transactions.

Earlier this month, Namibian Sun reported that Stier Vente Associates, external auditors for beleaguered state fishing company Fishcor, only reported the suspicious Fishrot-related transactions to the regulator Public Accountants’ and Auditors’ Board (PAAB) on 21 February 2020, after the scandal had widely been reported in local and international media.

Contrived allegations

Metcalfe on Wednesday told Namibian Sun that the allegations involving Phillipus and Ndapandula appear ‘contrived’, but declined to comment because the matter is before the court.

He also criticised what he calls the “constant leak” of privileged documents from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) docket to media houses and on social media, leaks which he deems an obstruction the course of justice.

“This unfortunately compromises the criminal prosecution and ensures that our clients are tried, convicted and hung out to dry before a fair trial commences. It is in effect a denial of our clients' constitutional right to be presumed innocent until convicted by a competent court of law,” he said.

He added that his clients consequently reserve their right to institute criminal charges against the entities who have leaked what appears to be the entire ACC docket.

As such, a criminal complaint of obstructing and/or perverting the course of justice will be instituted during the course of next week with the Namibian police, he said.

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 213.78/OZ UP +1.05% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.03% | Zinc US$ 2 454.10/T DOWN -0.1% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.13/BBP UP +0.86% | Platinum US$ 908.83/OZ UP +1.56% Sport results: Weather: Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.91 | EUR to NAD 20.47 | CNY to NAD 2.62 | USD to NAD 18.97 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.28 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 18.97 | USD to ZMW 24.77 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 73909.5 Up +0.41% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1516.02 Down -0.13% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12981.98 Up +0.34% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 28224.37 Down -2.87% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 213.78/OZ UP +1.05% | Copper US$ 3.99/lb UP +0.03% | Zinc US$ 2 454.10/T DOWN -0.1% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.13/BBP UP +0.86% | Platinum US$ 908.83/OZ UP +1.56%