Teko Trio trial starts afresh

A fraud trial involving two high-profile Namibians and a Chinese businessman has started afresh in the Windhoek High Court following the recusal of Judge Maphios Cheda in the matter.The trial, which started anew yesterday under Judge Christie Liebenberg, involves an alleged scam in which the finance ministry bought security scanning equipment from a Chinese company Nuctech. The Supreme Court had last year overruled a decision by Cheda to dismiss an application for his recusal brought by accused Teckla Lameck, Jerobeam Mokaxwa and Chinese national Yang Fan. The Supreme Court ruled that because an apprehension of bias had been based on reasonable grounds, Cheda should have recused himself. It had ruled that Cheda expressed strong views and prejudged an issue, which was the validity of search and seizure warrants executed against the accused. The accused had objected to the evidence obtained from the three search warrants issued on 29 June 2009 in terms of the provisions of Anti-Corruption Act. In terms of Act, only a director of the ACC may summons a person whereas in terms of another provision of the same legislation, a judge or a magistrate may authorise a search warrant. The three entered not guilty pleas at the start of the new trial yesterday. They are facing 18 charges, including counts of fraud, money laundering, corruption and contraventions of the Immigration Control Act.They were arrested on 8 and 9 July 2009 in connection with the alleged scam. The two Namibians are free on bail of N$50 000 each, while Yang was granted N$1 million bail. The State alleges that the price of the equipment was inflated to enable the manufacturer, which was represented by Yang, to pay a 'commission' of at least N$128.3 million to Teko Trading, a close corporation of Lameck and Mokaxwa which had signed an agency agreement with Nuctech. Lameck and Mokaxwa alone are accused of having defrauded a Swapo-owned company, Namib Contract Haulage, between December 2006 and June 2009 by allegedly getting the company to pay inflated prices for trucks that it was buying from China. Lameck on her own faces six charges under the Anti-Corruption Act. Those charges are based on an allegation that while she held office as a member of the Public Service Commission she did not have the required consent from then head of state Hifikepunye Pohamba to do other paid work, such as her involvement in Teko Trading CC. The trial continues. FRED GOEIEMAN

Teko Trio trial starts afresh

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-14

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Teko Trio trial starts afresh

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-14

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