Cohen transferred N$25 000 to Hamutenya for phone

This transaction, according to documents seen by The Namibian, took place in the same month Cohen started providing the state-owned Namdia with diamond-valuation services.

Namdia was founded by Hamutenya among others.

Cohen has not responded to questions sent to him over the past two months.

Hamutenya last month told The Namibian there was nothing improper about the N$25 000 transaction, as it was used to buy Cohen an Apple phone while he [Hamutenya] was abroad.

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani, has however, highlighted this transaction as an example of the cosy relationship between government officials and the business people they are supposed to monitor.

Cohen raked in N$46 million from taxpayers money via a Namdia diamond valuation contract.

Cohen and Hamutenya have been enjoying a close relationship for years.

Documents seen by The Namibian show that Hamutenya also issued Cohen’s Nuska Investment CC a 10-year licence in 2011 to polish diamonds.

This took place while Hamutenya was the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s diamond commissioner.

Nuska Investment’s diamond-polishing licence expired in December 2021.

Venaani this week said: “We urge staff and public servants to refrain from this conduct as it compromises the state with regards to fair trading.”

The PDM leader last month requested the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to launch an investigation into the appointment of C Sixty Investments to evaluate rough diamonds on behalf of Namdia.

Venaani asked the ACC to investigate the extent to which former minister of mines and energy Obeth Kandjoze was involved in this appointment.

“The ACC must shed light on why Mr Kandjoze ignored the Public Procurement Act, as well as the wishes of the Namdia board,” he said.

C-Sixty Investments was allegedly hand-picked by Kandjoze, although he has denied any wrongdoing.

The Namibian last month reported on Cohen ingratiating himself among the top echelons of Namibia’s political elite.

This includes doing business with first lady Monica Geingos’ son Nino Kalondo (27), and her brother Salomon Kalondo (47).

HAMUTENYA DEFENDS COHEN TRANSACTION

Hamutenya has confirmed receiving money from Cohen.

“I had travelled abroad during one of our roadshows as we were busy establishing Namdia, and while I was there, a new Apple phone was released.

“Doron loves gadgets and couldn’t wait to have one and requested that I buy him one and he would refund me. That’s exactly what happened. It was not a gift to me. I was not in need.

“And even if I was, I would rather have gone to get an overdraft from my bank. And I had no contractual or commercial relationship that presented a conflict of interest between myself and Doron,” Hamutenya said.

Hamutenya could not provide evidence of the gadget he bought.

‘SOUR’ RELATIONSHIP