Eba Kandovazu
IN his testimony today, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fishcor, Mike Nghipunya, says then Secretary General of the Swapo Party, Nangolo Mbumba, appointed former Justice Minister, Sacky Shanghala, and James Hatuikulipi to take charge of the money for the election campaignpaid to the party by Fishcor,
The two, according to Nghipunya, were also instructed to restructure the Ndilimani cultural group. Nghipunya says he was not responsible for how money was spent by beneficiaries, that Hatuikulipi and Shanghala were the individuals answerable to the ruling party.
Swapo has denied that it benefited from the fishrot scandal. This week, Swapo Vice President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, also rejected the allegations in Parliament when questioned by McHenry Venaani, President of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM).
Nghipunya explains that Swapo in fact received N$ 75 million for its Presidential campaign, via the Sisa Namandje law firm and Maren de Klerk’s law firm. He had earlier told the court that the party received N$44 million. According to Nghipunya, the instructions to label the beneficiary as governmental objective came from James Hatuikulipi, as the former Chairperson of the Fishcor board. Earlier this week, Nghipunya indicated that the instructions came directly from former Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, Bernard Esau.
He said that Swapo never complained that they did not receive their money from Maren De Klerk’s law firm De Klerk,Horn and Coetzee.
Judge Shafimana Ueitele says although Nghipunya alleges that Swapo received Fishrot money, there is no such evidence before court. The report he relied on has not been tendered as an exhibit. State Advcocate Cliff Lutibezi insists money was misappropriated. He alleges that money was distributed among the suspects. Nghipunya’s lawyers did not want to hand over the audit report as an exhibit, until an expert witness is called to testify on it.
Shanghala, Hatuikulipi and Pius Mwatelula will not be testifying in person. They will be applying for bail by way of affidavits. It is unclear at this stage whether or not the State will be allowed to cross examine the trio. Otneel Shuudifonya and Phillipus Mwapopi, like Nghipunya, will also testify in person. Esau, his son-in-law Tamson Hatuikulipi, Ricardo Gustavo and Nigel van Wyk are not part of these proceedings.
