Iuze Mukube
During the mentions roll yesterday, Judge Philanda Christiaan heard that six of the 16 individuals accused of human trafficking and operating an international cryptocurrency scheme have allegedly been traced to China after absconding from Namibia.
However, the process of locating their exact location has not commenced yet.
This was confirmed by State advocate Erich Moyo.
They are Chinese nationals Chen Wuyu, Li Ziran, Shi Zijun, Wu Weiyang, Guo Linjie and Wu Nengjun.
These accused are implicated alongside Fan Jia, Tango Muulyau, Haifeng Zheng, Melanda Mamelodi Domingo, Lin Shu Lin, Neng Jun Wu, Chen You Yi, Carlos Alejandro Batista Valdes, Toivo Telen Herman and Ghim Hee Chris Ang.
They face 58 counts of trafficking in humans, two counts of confiscation of identification and travel documents, 98 counts of using the services of victims of trafficking, one count of fraud, one count of money laundering, one count of racketeering, one count of failure to pay tax, and aiding and abetting any prohibited person to remain in Namibia.
A warrant of arrest was issued against these six accused last month, after they failed to appear in court and could not be traced anywhere in the country.
The information provided by the advocate was thus an update from the April mentions roll proceedings.
Moyo stated that the correspondence confirming the accused’s presence in China was only received on 11 May 2026, and that the authorities are still considering processes to locate them precisely and possibly bring them back to Namibia.
He stated that because of this uncertainty, Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa intends to amend the indictment, either by removing or adding accused, depending on whether the six can be extradited back to the country.
As such, the State asked for a postponement.
The lawyers of several of the accused present yesterday strongly objected to further postponement, arguing that two years and seven months later, the State still does not have its house in order.
The accused were arrested in October 2023, and the matter was transferred to the High Court on 25 October 2023, yet nearly two years and seven months later, the State still does not have a final indictment or a complete disclosure, the lawyers argued.
They concurred that the delay is prejudicing their clients and violating their rights to a fair and speedy trial.
The lawyers also criticised the State for only acting now in instituting an Interpol Red Notice for the alleged absconders, questioning why it did not indicate when it first became aware that the suspects had fled.
They argued that the matter was transferred to the High Court prematurely, without a proper disclosure, docket, or being trial-ready. The defence argued that the repeated assurances from the state had turned into mere hope that an amended indictment and disclosure would be handed to the defence.
Therefore, they asked the court to strike the matter from the roll, arguing that the State should first get its house in order before the matter can be re-enrolled.
Christiaan then postponed the matter to 22 July 2026 for the State to provide an amended indictment and pre-trial memorandum to the defence. The State assured the court that an amended indictment would be available when the matter appears again on the roll in July.
Two other suspects are allegedly also on the run, including Ang Gim Hee, whom the Singaporean authorities have not yet confirmed entry into Singapore.
It is also unclear if Zheng Haifeng, who holds a Vanuatu passport, entered that country or not. A warrant of arrest was issued yesterday for these eight accused.
The accused were arrested following a sting operation in 2023 for allegedly operating an international cryptocurrency fraud scheme in which Namibians were employed.
The total amount of the alleged fraud amounts to US$465 405.56, about N$8.8 million.
It is alleged that the accused used at least 50 students to do their dirty work while also threatening their families.