Namibia: Esau's Short Walk to Freedom

25 November 2019

Windhoek — There was high drama at the Windhoek High Court yesterday when an initial urgent application seeking to set aside the arrest of former fisheries minister Bernhard Esau was adjourned to Tuesday, only for the court to later order to his release. This followed a second sitting of the court before Judge Hannelie Prinsloo after lawyers representing the Anti-Corruption Commission, the prosecutor-general and the Namibian Police, among others, conceded that the warrant of arrest was not in compliance with the law in a number of respects. The ACC and the police will now have to apply for a new warrant of arrest. Esau was arrested on late Saturday afternoon after a warrant for his arrest was issued on the same day in connection with the massive bribery scandal, which has also seen a number of high-profile officials implicated, including former justice minister Sacky Shanghala.

An Icelandic fishing company, Samherji, reportedly secured access to horse mackerel quotas in Namibia by paying bribes of around N$150 million to politicians and businessmen between 2012 and 2018.

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