The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the bail appeal of six of the accused in the Fishrot fishing quota fraud and corruption case.
The three Supreme Court appeal judges on Monday unanimously ruled that Former Justice Minister Sakeus Shanghala, his business partner James Hatuikulipi, Pius Mwatelulo, Mike Nghipunya, Otneel Shuudifonya and Phillipus Mwapopi should be kept in police custody.
The three judges – Theo Frank, Jeremiah Shongwe and Kananelo Mosito – said in their judgment that after listening to the six men’s bail appeal on 24 January this year, the Supreme Court was in agreement with the High Court ruling of April 2022 that it will not be in the interest of the administration of justice to grant bail.
Most of the accused in the case, including former Fisheries Minister Bernard Esau, were arrested between November 2019 and December 2020. They made several bail applications since then in magistrates’ courts where they appeared before their cases were elevated to the High Court, where they also lodged their bail applications in 2022, and failed.
They will now have to return to the High Court for their trial dates to be scheduled.
The accused in the matter were arrested on charges of corruption and money laundering for allegedly accepting bribes from Icelandic fishing company Samherji in exchange for access to the Namibian fishing industry.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
