Fishrot accused asked to use govt Falcon
Former president Hifikepunye Pohamba approved the trip to Angola for which disgraced former fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau asked permission to use the government aircraft - with men who never worked for government.
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday said the men accused in the Fishrot scandal had applied to use the government Falcon aircraft to travel to Angola in relation to the deals that have landed them in hot water.
Andreas Kanyangela, the ACC lead investigator into Fishrot, confirmed this while giving his testimony in the bail application of some of the men accused in the case.
According to Kanyangela, the Falcon was to be used by a delegation - led by then fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau - heading to Angola to sign the controversial memorandum of understanding on agriculture and fisheries between that country and Namibia.
It was not immediately clear whether the men were eventually granted permission to use the aircraft.
The government Falcon is a corporate jet which is available for the head of state, prime minister, Cabinet ministers, government officials, parastatals and private business individuals.
According to Kanyangela’s testimony yesterday, President Hage Geingob had sanctioned this working visit to Angola on 12 June 2014 through the ministry of presidential affairs office, although the National Assembly was still in session at the time.
He had allegedly also informed the former permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry Selma Ashipala-Musavyi of this working visit.
The delegation included James Hatuikulipi, Johannsson Stefansson, Tamson Hatuikulipi and Ricardo Gustavo, none of whom ever worked for government.
Last year, Kanyangela told the court a total of 50 000 metric tonnes horse mackerel fishing quotas were allegedly fraudulently allocated to Angolan entity Namgomar Pesca Limitada.
Namgomar Pesca Limitada, which he called a “briefcase company”, was allegedly owned by João de Barros, the son of former Angolan fisheries minister Victoria de Barros Neto, and is purported to be the parent company of Namgomar Pesca Namibia – for which Gustavo was a sole director.
Thank you
According to court documents, Esau wrote to his counterpart in Angola to thank her for hosting them during the then just-ended working visit.
“I look forward to a productive collaboration between the two sister ministries and countries. As discussed, I would like to implement this agreement straight away. The government will post that the agreement is established in the government gazette,” Esau wrote to De Barros Neto.
He reportedly pointed out to her that they [Namibia] nominate Namgomar Pesca SA or its nominee in conjunction with the Namibian fishing entity Namgomar Pesca to harvest fish in Namibia.
He promised to inform these entities of these developments and expressed assurances of his ‘comradely regards’.
‘Who is Samherji?’
On 23 December 2013, former justice minister Sacky Shanghala allegedly wrote to Icelandic fishing executives to ask for a small profile on Samherji.
“Dear Vikings, I trust you are well. I really need your assistance. The minister [Esau] needs to go brief the president on the Namgomar matter. The question may arise ‘who is Samherji?’ Do you have a brochure, two pages or so? Please send to me,” he wrote.
Samherji is the Icelandic fishing firm alleged to have paid bribes to Namibian politicians and businessmen to gain access to Namibia’s marine resources.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday said the men accused in the Fishrot scandal had applied to use the government Falcon aircraft to travel to Angola in relation to the deals that have landed them in hot water.
Andreas Kanyangela, the ACC lead investigator into Fishrot, confirmed this while giving his testimony in the bail application of some of the men accused in the case.
According to Kanyangela, the Falcon was to be used by a delegation - led by then fisheries minister Bernhardt Esau - heading to Angola to sign the controversial memorandum of understanding on agriculture and fisheries between that country and Namibia.
It was not immediately clear whether the men were eventually granted permission to use the aircraft.
The government Falcon is a corporate jet which is available for the head of state, prime minister, Cabinet ministers, government officials, parastatals and private business individuals.
According to Kanyangela’s testimony yesterday, President Hage Geingob had sanctioned this working visit to Angola on 12 June 2014 through the ministry of presidential affairs office, although the National Assembly was still in session at the time.
He had allegedly also informed the former permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry Selma Ashipala-Musavyi of this working visit.
The delegation included James Hatuikulipi, Johannsson Stefansson, Tamson Hatuikulipi and Ricardo Gustavo, none of whom ever worked for government.
Last year, Kanyangela told the court a total of 50 000 metric tonnes horse mackerel fishing quotas were allegedly fraudulently allocated to Angolan entity Namgomar Pesca Limitada.
Namgomar Pesca Limitada, which he called a “briefcase company”, was allegedly owned by João de Barros, the son of former Angolan fisheries minister Victoria de Barros Neto, and is purported to be the parent company of Namgomar Pesca Namibia – for which Gustavo was a sole director.
Thank you
According to court documents, Esau wrote to his counterpart in Angola to thank her for hosting them during the then just-ended working visit.
“I look forward to a productive collaboration between the two sister ministries and countries. As discussed, I would like to implement this agreement straight away. The government will post that the agreement is established in the government gazette,” Esau wrote to De Barros Neto.
He reportedly pointed out to her that they [Namibia] nominate Namgomar Pesca SA or its nominee in conjunction with the Namibian fishing entity Namgomar Pesca to harvest fish in Namibia.
He promised to inform these entities of these developments and expressed assurances of his ‘comradely regards’.
‘Who is Samherji?’
On 23 December 2013, former justice minister Sacky Shanghala allegedly wrote to Icelandic fishing executives to ask for a small profile on Samherji.
“Dear Vikings, I trust you are well. I really need your assistance. The minister [Esau] needs to go brief the president on the Namgomar matter. The question may arise ‘who is Samherji?’ Do you have a brochure, two pages or so? Please send to me,” he wrote.
Samherji is the Icelandic fishing firm alleged to have paid bribes to Namibian politicians and businessmen to gain access to Namibia’s marine resources.
[email protected]
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