B1 City fraud accused Kelly Nghixulifwa yesterday told Windhoek High Court Judge Christi Liebenberg that he did everything he is accused of in the open and not anybody’s back.

He was testifying in his defence in the fraud and corruption trial of him, Anna Ndoroma and Hafeni Nghinamwaami. 

They are facing charges of fraud and contravening the Anti-Corruption Act. At the centre of the matter is a loan of N$4.8 million that Nghixulifwa allegedly secured for Ae//Gams Engineering to purchase Erf 10485 along Independence Avenue without declaring his interest in the company.

They suffered mixed fortunes when Judge Liebenberg discharged them on some of the charges they faced and put them on their defence on others they faced.

 Nghixulifwa was discharged
on three counts and put on his defence on eight counts, Ndoroma on one count, while Nghinamwaami was discharged on two counts and put on his defence on two counts.

Nghixulifwa, who resigned after the ambitious supposed construction of B1 City, opposite the Katutura state hospital, went belly-up, faced 11 charges of fraud and contravening the Anti-Corruption Act, while Ndoroma faced four counts and Nghinamwaami four counts. 

Nghixulifwa already lost a battle in which he wanted the court to quash eight of the charges as unconstitutional. 

Yesterday, Nghixulifwa told the court that if he did something wrong, it was because he was misled by the parties involved. 

According to him, he always involved other senior managers in whatever he did, and he was open and transparent in his dealings. 

With regard to the charges that he used his office for gratification for himself or other people, he said he was never corrupt, and strongly denied the allegations.

In relation that he used his office unlawfully to use RCC money to pay the home loan arrears of Brian Nalisa, he said he did it because he was authorised as such by a policy that allows him to grant advanced payment to employees. 

According to Nghixulifwa, there was a proposal for a home loan policy on the table at the time, and he was sure it would be implemented. 

However, he said, when the policy was not implemented, he advised Nalisa to apply for a loan from RCC, and he involved the financial manager and the company secretary and informed the then chairman of the board. 

If he was corrupt, he said, he would not have involved any of them.

The matter continues today, and the accused are on bail.

Nghixulifwa is represented by Veino Alexander, Ndoroma by Silas Kishi-Shakumu and Nghinamwaami by Trevor Brockerhoff.

- rrouth@nepc.com.na