PG hunts down De Klerk
The Prosecutor-General is hot on the heels of fugitive lawyer Maren de Klerk, in whose name a warrant of arrest has now been charged, and two other men thought to have dipped their hands into the Fishrot cookie jar.
OGONE TLHAGE
WINDHOEK
Prosecutor-General (PG) Martha Imalwa says the process to extradite Fishrot-connected lawyer Maren De Klerk will be set in motion.
This follows confirmation in the Magistrate’s Court that De Klerk will also be charged for his role in the corruption scandal. De Klerk is currently in South Africa, where he has been since January.
An amount of N$75.6 million was paid through the trust account of De Klerk’s law firm, DHC Incorporated, in alleged bribes.
The lawyer has been missing in action while others involved in the matter - former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau, former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, former Investec managing director James Hatuikulipi, former Investec business manager Ricardo Gustavo, Esau’s son-in-law Tamson Hatuikulipi, former Fishcor CEO Mike Nghipunya and Pius Mwatelulo - have been imprisoned.
“We will follow procedures as laid down. We are in the process of filing an extradition request,” Imalwa said when approached for comment.
Others implicated
The further arrest of two more persons implicated in the scandal, Phillipus Mwapopi and Otneel Shuudifonya, was also expected to take effect.
Shuudifonya, who runs a fish business at Otjiwarongo and other places, is Otjozondjupa regional council’s deputy director of rural services, having been promoted in August from chief development planner.
He is described as Nghipunya’s ‘proxy’.
Mwapopi is a member of the Windhoek City Police. His exact role in the scandal is unknown to Namibian Sun.
Anti-Corruption Commission director-general Paulus Noa did not provide much detail when asked when the arrests were planned, but said action would be taken in the next couple of hours or days.
“It will not take long before we pronounce ourselves on the arrests,” he said.
As it stands
Pre-trial for the matter in which N$75.6 million was transferred from fishing parastatal Fishcor through DHC Incorporated’s trust fund will start on 22 April 2021, while the Nangomar case was postponed to 5 February for the PG’s decision. N$103 million is said to have been paid over in the Nangomar case.
Shanghala, Esau, the Hatuikulipi cousins, Mwatelulo and Gustavo have been in jail since their arrest in November 2019. Meanwhile, Nghipunya was arrested in February this year. The men face charges of money laundering.
This will be their second Christmas behind bars.
WINDHOEK
Prosecutor-General (PG) Martha Imalwa says the process to extradite Fishrot-connected lawyer Maren De Klerk will be set in motion.
This follows confirmation in the Magistrate’s Court that De Klerk will also be charged for his role in the corruption scandal. De Klerk is currently in South Africa, where he has been since January.
An amount of N$75.6 million was paid through the trust account of De Klerk’s law firm, DHC Incorporated, in alleged bribes.
The lawyer has been missing in action while others involved in the matter - former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau, former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, former Investec managing director James Hatuikulipi, former Investec business manager Ricardo Gustavo, Esau’s son-in-law Tamson Hatuikulipi, former Fishcor CEO Mike Nghipunya and Pius Mwatelulo - have been imprisoned.
“We will follow procedures as laid down. We are in the process of filing an extradition request,” Imalwa said when approached for comment.
Others implicated
The further arrest of two more persons implicated in the scandal, Phillipus Mwapopi and Otneel Shuudifonya, was also expected to take effect.
Shuudifonya, who runs a fish business at Otjiwarongo and other places, is Otjozondjupa regional council’s deputy director of rural services, having been promoted in August from chief development planner.
He is described as Nghipunya’s ‘proxy’.
Mwapopi is a member of the Windhoek City Police. His exact role in the scandal is unknown to Namibian Sun.
Anti-Corruption Commission director-general Paulus Noa did not provide much detail when asked when the arrests were planned, but said action would be taken in the next couple of hours or days.
“It will not take long before we pronounce ourselves on the arrests,” he said.
As it stands
Pre-trial for the matter in which N$75.6 million was transferred from fishing parastatal Fishcor through DHC Incorporated’s trust fund will start on 22 April 2021, while the Nangomar case was postponed to 5 February for the PG’s decision. N$103 million is said to have been paid over in the Nangomar case.
Shanghala, Esau, the Hatuikulipi cousins, Mwatelulo and Gustavo have been in jail since their arrest in November 2019. Meanwhile, Nghipunya was arrested in February this year. The men face charges of money laundering.
This will be their second Christmas behind bars.
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