HUNDREDS of bags of dried fish and fish rests supposedly supplied to the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) under a drought relief programme were centre stage during the bail hearing of six of the men charged in the Fishrot fraud and corruption case in the Windhoek High Court on Friday.
Testifying in support of his application to be granted bail after nearly a year in jail, Windhoek City Police officer Phillipus Mwapopi told judge Shafimana Ueitele that in mid-2016 he made an offer to the then chief executive of Fishcor, Mike Nghipunya, to supply dried fish products to the state-owned company for a drought relief food aid programme.
Mwapopi (36) said he had a supplier which sold the products, sourced from Karibib, to him at a price of N$3,1 million, and the products were subsequently delivered to Fishcor, which paid his close corporation, Wanakadu Investment, N$4,2 million for it.
The products which he sourced and supplied, Mwapopi said, were 523 bags of dried fish, 173 bags of horse mackerel, 200 bags of dried kingklip bones and 150 bags of dried hake heads.
However, on questions from Ueitele, he acknowledged he did not personally see the products or saw it being loaded by the supplier and delivered to Fishcor.
The state is alleging, in a fraud charge against Mwapopi, Wanakadu Investment, Nghipunya and former Fishcor board of directors chairperson James Hatuikulipi, that they defrauded Fishcor.
According to the state, the fish products supposedly sold by Wanakadu investment were not delivered to Fishcor, but the company paid about N$4,2 million to Mwapopis close corporation. That money is alleged to have been distributed among Mwapopi, Wanakadu Investment, Nghipunya and Hatuikulipi.
Mwapopi said he had a delivery note from Fishcor, and the company never complained to him about not receiving the products for which it had paid.
Asked about an agreement according to which he and Nghipunya were to be equal partners in Wanakadu Investment, with him holding Nghipunyas interest in his name, Mwapopi said he had no knowledge of that and did not sign such a document.
He will deny guilt when his trial starts, Mwapopi said.
He is due to continue testifying when the bail hearing resumes in January.
The hearing is due to continue from 24 January to 4 February, and also from 21 to 25 February.
Three of the charged men applying for bail – Hatuikulipi, former attorney general and justice minister Sacky Shanghala, and Pius Mwatelulo – will be relying on affidavits to support their applications, one of their lawyers, Lucius Murorua, has informed the court. That means they would not be testifying in person and would avoid fielding questions in cross-examination from the prosecution.
