Fishrot: Man nabbed for ACC bribery attempt
A man was arrested on Monday night after he allegedly attempted to bribe an official of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in exchange for releasing the ATM cards of one of the Fishrot accused who is currently behind bars.
ACC director-general Paulus Noa told Namibian Sun that an investigative officer of the commission was offered money from the account of the unnamed Fishrot suspect in return for gaining access to his ATM cards.
The ATM cards of the so-called Fishrot Six were confiscated as part of ongoing investigations into allegations that the accused – among them former ministers Sacky Shanghala and Bernardt Esau – have received bribes amounting to not less than N$150 million in exchange for government fishing quotas.
Others are James Hatuikulipi, Tamson 'Fitty' Hatuikulipi, Ricardo Gustavo and Pius Mwatelulo.
They were arrested on 27 November last year and have been in police custody since then.
It is not clear which of the sextet might have ordered the suspect to make a bribery attempt in order to get access to their bank account.
“We arrested someone last night (Monday) for attempting to bribe an investigative officer to remove the ATM cards [from our offices],” Noa said late yesterday.
The man, whose name could not be published before he appears in court, is expected to formally appear in court today.
He is the second person arrested recently over alleged attempts to temper with evidence related to the Fishrot saga.
Nigel van Wyk is currently behind bars after he allegedly attempted to remove evidence from Shanghala's house in Klein Windhoek.
The Fishrot Six are expected in court on February 20.
They have so far failed in their numerous attempts to have their case thrown out for supposed lack of wrongfulness on their part.
On January 3, they filed a new application in the Supreme Court, challenging the ruling of the High Court that they matter was not urgent.
OGONE TLHAGE
ACC director-general Paulus Noa told Namibian Sun that an investigative officer of the commission was offered money from the account of the unnamed Fishrot suspect in return for gaining access to his ATM cards.
The ATM cards of the so-called Fishrot Six were confiscated as part of ongoing investigations into allegations that the accused – among them former ministers Sacky Shanghala and Bernardt Esau – have received bribes amounting to not less than N$150 million in exchange for government fishing quotas.
Others are James Hatuikulipi, Tamson 'Fitty' Hatuikulipi, Ricardo Gustavo and Pius Mwatelulo.
They were arrested on 27 November last year and have been in police custody since then.
It is not clear which of the sextet might have ordered the suspect to make a bribery attempt in order to get access to their bank account.
“We arrested someone last night (Monday) for attempting to bribe an investigative officer to remove the ATM cards [from our offices],” Noa said late yesterday.
The man, whose name could not be published before he appears in court, is expected to formally appear in court today.
He is the second person arrested recently over alleged attempts to temper with evidence related to the Fishrot saga.
Nigel van Wyk is currently behind bars after he allegedly attempted to remove evidence from Shanghala's house in Klein Windhoek.
The Fishrot Six are expected in court on February 20.
They have so far failed in their numerous attempts to have their case thrown out for supposed lack of wrongfulness on their part.
On January 3, they filed a new application in the Supreme Court, challenging the ruling of the High Court that they matter was not urgent.
OGONE TLHAGE
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