Iuze Mukube
Fourteen individuals accused of defrauding millions from the State-owned enterprise Namcor, tendered pleas of not guilty to 75 charges on Tuesday in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court.
Appearing before Magistrate Eliud Nakulonda, the fraud and corruption accused opted to give no plea explanation, placing the onus on the State to prove the allegations.
The accused include former Namcor MD Immanuel Mulunga (53), Cornelius ‘Cedric’ Willemse (52), Olivia Dunaiski (45), Peter Elindi (60), Malakia Elindi (51), Lydia Elindi (50), Jennifer Hamukwaya (42), and Panduleni Hamukwaya (51).
Added to the list are Leo Stefanus Nandago, Connie van Wyk, Austin Elindi, Heidi Elly Boois, Martha Ndinelao Antindi and Johanna Hambelela Mundjego.
They all pleaded not guilty to 75 charges stemming from alleged contraventions of the Anti-Corruption Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
Mulunga, Willemse, Jennifer and Dunaiski face charges including fraud, corruptly using office for gratification, conspiracy, and corruptly accepting or concealing gratification, among other charges.
The Elindis face fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering, among other charges in contravention of sections of the Anti-Corruption Act.
The Hamukwayas face the charge of dealing with, using, holding, receiving, or concealing gratification, conspiracy, and money laundering, with Van Wyk facing similar charges.
Nandago faces a charge of corruptly giving gratification, fraud, and money laundering.
Boois is facing charges of corruptly accepting gratification by or giving gratification to an agent; fraud; forgery and uttering a forged instrument; and conspiracy, among other counts.
Antindi, the mother of fugitive Victor Malima, and Mundjego face the charge of dealing with, using, holding, receiving or concealing gratification; money laundering; and theft.
Charges
The entities implicated in the matter, including Enercon, Onyeka Clearing and Forwarding, Nyambali Medical Centre, Panduleni Farming, Parkwood Petroleum Logistics, and Erongo Petroleum all face a count of money laundering.
The State alleges that Mulunga received an Audi Q8 SUV valued at N$3.2 million from fugitive Victor Malima. Malima is wanted in connection with fraud and corruption in the Namcor case.
Mulunga is also alleged to have falsely and with intent to defraud Namcor pretended to the entity that it could purchase from Enercon nine home-based fuel stations situated in the ministry of defence for N$53 million.
Peter is alleged to have, in 2022, defrauded and pretended to sell nine service stations to Namcor while these stations were encumbered to the defence ministry due to a 15-year agreement signed in 2016.
Through this false pretence, the State says Peter induced Namcor to pay N$53 million as the purchase price for the nine service stations despite the restrictions.
These fuel stations never ended up in Namcor’s hands.
Consequently, between 20 and 21 July 2022, Peter allegedly corruptly offered N$2.5 million to Cornelius Petrus Willemse and Jennifer Hamukwaya as an inducement to facilitate the purchase of the nine service stations.
Willemse is alleged to have received N$960 000 for beef, lamb and game carcasses, and another N$9 million was transferred to Eco Trading – owned by fugitive Malima – from Enercon.
The State further alleges that the N$960 000 paid into Willemse’s personal bank account was part of the money laundered through Enercon and Eco Trading.
Enercon had received N$53 million from Namcor for the sale of nine fuel stations but paid back N$35 million to Namcor, with N$18 million outstanding.
Of this amount, N$9 million was transferred to Eco Trading.
This N$9 million, the State further alleges, then trailed to several other individuals, of whom Malima transferred N$1 million to Quality Meat Supplies and purchased a vehicle for Mulunga.
An amount of N$1.5 million is alleged to have been transferred to Erongo Fuel Investment, which was withdrawn by Van Wyk as gratification of proceeds of unlawful activities.
Austin is alleged to have conspired with Nandago to receive fuel from Namcor Petroleum Trading and Distribution without paying for it.
Boois is alleged to have corruptly accepted gratification to wrongfully and unlawfully open a business account for Quality Meat Supplies, purporting that Hileni Itana, who was a member of the entity, was in the bank when, in fact, she was not in the bank on the said day to open such an account.
Antindi and Mundjego are alleged to have, as members of Eco Fuel Investment, received N$1.5 million from Eco Trading, which was also paid from Enercon into the account of Eco Trading. The money was proceeds of unlawful activities.
The State alleges that transactions were cloaked in misrepresentation, with Enercon failing to deliver what was contractually agreed and internal memos and correspondence showing that key decision-makers were either misled or bypassed.
On the other hand, the defence has denied any criminal intent, insisting that the transaction was a commercial agreement, fully backed by Namcor officials and approved through internal documentation.
The matter was postponed to 28 October 2026 for Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa’s decision.
Photo: Heather Erdmann