Iuze Mukube

Two accused persons made a first court appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday facing a charge of fraud related to the N$3.2 million weighbridge scandal.

Grant Cloete, an employee of SA Scale Company and his co-accused, Roads Authority (RA) divisional manager Richard Milinga appeared before magistrate Mutafela Olga Muharukua.

The two each face a charge of fraud, with an alternative charge of theft, in connection with the fraudulent certification of a suspicious invoice valued at more than N$3 million, which fraudulently indicated that goods had been delivered, when they had not. 

The two were arrested following an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), where as part of its investigation, the ACC seized assets valued at more than N$2 million, believed to be connected to a weighbridge supply.

According to court documents, it is alleged that on 8 April 2025 at RA in Windhoek, the accused, falsely and with intent to commit fraud, pretended to give RA authorised payment for services rendered.

By means of these false pretenses, the accused induced RA to take action, resulting in or potentially causing a financial prejudice to the RA in the amount of N$3 268 062.60.

They were each granted bail of N$30 000, and as part of their bail conditions, the two are required to inform the investigating officer in advance should they intend to leave the district.

The case was postponed to 1 August 2025 for further investigations. -mukubeiuze@gmail.com