Bernhardt Esau
WINDHOEK, Nov 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Namibian court denied the former Minister of Fisheries Bernhardt Esau bail, following his arrest on Saturday alongside a former senior manager of investment firm Investec on charges of corruption.
Esau has also asked the Windhoek High Court to declare the warrant that authorised his arrest and his detention as invalid, but Judge Hannelie Prinsloo postponed the hearing on the validity of the arrest until Tuesday to give the state time to prepare arguments.
Esau and former client manager of Investec Asset Management in Namibia, Ricardo Gustavo, were arrested following allegations they were involved in a fishing scheme that generated kickbacks of at least 150 million Namibian dollars ($10.20 million).
Esau has denied any wrongdoing.
Esau and Justice Minister Sakeus Shanghala quit earlier this month over the bribery claims made in media reports.
The two former ministers are alleged to have awarded horse mackerel quotas to Iceland’s biggest fishing firm Samherji in exchange for bribes. Samherji has said it has hired a law firm to investigate the allegations.
The Namibia managing director of Investec, James Hatuikulipi, resigned two days after the ministers, following media allegations that he spearheaded the scheme.
Namibia’s Anti-Corruption Commission Director-General, Paulus Noa, said warrants of arrest had been issued for Shanghala and Hatuikulipi.
Shanghala and Hatuikulipi are believed to be out of the country and did not respond to requests for comment. — NNN-AGENCIES
