The director general of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Paulus Noa, said they know exactly where Fishrot-implicated lawyer Marén de Klerk finds himself in South Africa. According to Noa, at this stage, there is no reason for the ACC to request the cooperation of their South African counterparts to arrest and hand over De Klerk, as investigations have not reached that stage. Noa said they were in contact with De Klerk through his lawyers.
“Should the need be for De Klerk to come to Namibia, we have diplomatic and cooperation procedures in place. As you know, South Africa and Namibia share very close diplomatic relations and even our laws are not that different,” Noa explained yesterday.
The ACC wants to question the lawyer, who is believed to have both Namibian and South African citizenship, over N$90 million paid out in dubious transactions from the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor).
The money was allegedly paid out to individuals implicated in the Fishrot scandal while some of it was used to buy property abroad.
The N$90 million paid by Fishcor appears to have benefited the same clique that included former ministers Bernhardt Esau and Sacky Shanghala, former Investec Asset Management Namibia managing director James Hatuikulipi, who allegedly pocketed close to N$103 million from Fishrot bribes.
De Klerk is a co-owner of law firm De Klerk, Horn & Coetzee (DHC) Inc., through which the money was paid to Celax Investments Number One, which in turn is 100% owned by De Klerk. The two entities are accused in the Fishrot court papers of being used as a conduit to divert N$75 million from Fishcor. Esau, Shanghala, James Hatuikulipi, his cousin Tamson ‘Fitty’ Hatuikulipi, Ricardo Gustavo, Pius Mwatelulo and suspended Fishcor CEO Mike Nghipunya were charged in February this year with corruption and money laundering.
It is alleged that during the period August 2014 to December 2019, the accused person’s acting in common purpose directly or indirectly, corruptly and intentionally used their offices in public bodies to obtain gratification of N$76.6 million on the pretext that such amount was for government objectives being monies which was meant for National Fishing Corporation (FishCor) from Saga Sea Food and Mermaria Seafood and which money was paid to them or entities of their choice through Celax via the law firm DHC Inc. for their own benefit or the benefit of others.
– rrouth@nepc.com.na