By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK Investigations into the highly-publicized Offshore Development Company (ODC) in both Namibia and South Africa are said to be fast gaining momentum with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in that country rendering assistance. From today, investigators from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions of South Africa will be in the country to brief their Namibian counterparts from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Prosecutor-General’s Office on their findings. The latest twist in the prolonged ODC probe was confirmed by Advocate Daniel Small of the Office of the Prosecutor-General at a Namibia Institute of Democracy (NID) book launch on Corruption in Windhoek on Monday. Advocate Small, who represented Prosecutor-General Stella Imalwa at the launch, said that since investigations into the missing millions started, the case was split into two for both countries – Namibia and South Africa. “As from the 16th to the 18th of this month, officials from South Africa will be here to discuss the probe update. It seems there might be a prosecution in South Africa and also one here in Namibia,” explained Advocate Small, adding that the public is expected to see some movement in the ODC case soon. Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Paulus Noa, agreed that progress was being made as “no case is pushed under the carpet.” “Whether it be ODC or Avid, each case has its own complexities. As in the case of the ODC, some of the suspects are also suspects in their own country, South Africa. So the public should just be patient while work is being done on this case,” Noa reassured. On Presidential Commission of Inquiry reports, Noa said he had earlier visited President Hifikepunye Pohamba at State House to request for these reports, upon which he was granted permission to investigate these cases as well. ” The reports are there, and I have them with me as we speak,” he said at the briefing. In February, Prosecutor-General Stella Imalwa said investigations into the missing millions of ODC, Avid Investments/Social Security Commission (SSC) and the Namibian Defence Force were still ongoing. The SSC lost N$30 million in 2005 after the company gave this amount to Avid Investment Corporation for investment, while ODC lost N$100 million. The NDF lost over N$3 million in a bogus arms deal. The Prosecutor-General noted that investigations under the supervision of the PG’s Office were under way. Early this year, Member of Parliament Nora Schimming-Chase raised a question with the Minister of Justice, Pendukeni Ivula-Ithana, as to whether it was true that the South African Intelligence authorities had handed a report to the Namibian authorities which revealed the whereabouts of the N$100-million of ODC and N$30-million of SSC. A local English daily reported at the time that the South African Economic Intelligence Unit had reportedly traced all payments between various bank accounts and had identified certain local beneficiaries who were yet to be arrested or charged with the crime. “Can the Minister confirm or deny if her office received such a report via the South African military liaison officer on the missing Avid and ODC millions, and why has it not been tabled in Parliament?” Schimming-Chase asked at the time. “Is it true that the South African Economic Intelligence unit has managed to trace all payments between various bank accounts, and that certain beneficiaries were identified?” she asked during a parliamentary question time. The MP further asked the Justice Minister to inform Parliamentarians about the “true state of affairs” regarding the missing millions, if such a special report did not exist. Meanwhile, in an effort to fight sophisticated corruption cases like money -aundering, a new prosecution unit has been set up to deal with these kinds of investigations. Advocate Small confirmed that prosecutors would also act as investigators after being sent to South Africa for training on how to crack cases of money-laundering, which is a fairly new phenomenon in the country and thus requires specialized investigative focus. The aim of this office is to keep an up-to-date briefing of corruption investigation cases between ACC and the Prosecutor-General’s Office.