Fruit merchant gets bail after corruption arrest

THE man in charge of one of Namibia’s largest importers and distributors of fresh produce, Shamil Dirk, was released on bail of N$100 000 after appearing in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on a charge of corruption yesterday.

The 33-year-old Dirk, whose family owns fruit and vegetable importers and suppliers Dirk Fruit, was arrested on Tuesday as a result of an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission that stretches back to early this year. According to ACC Director Paulus Noa, Dirk is facing allegations of bribery involving some N$700 000.It is alleged that he had been paying bribes to a customs official at Noordoewer so that trucks carrying fresh produce from South Africa to Namibia for Dirk Fruit could enter Namibia without customs duties having to be paid on the goods they were bringing into the country, Noa said.He added that it is alleged that Dirk deposited various amounts of money into a bank account in the name of the customs official’s young son.These deposits totalled some N$700 000, he said.The payments are reported to date back as far as 2001.Dirk, represented by lawyer Dirk Conradie, made a first court appearance following his arrest before Magistrate Helvi Shilemba yesterday.State Prosecutor Nuncia Sikongo agreed that he could be released on bail of N$100 000, with a set of conditions attached to his release.One of these conditions is that he must report three times a day during the week at the offices of the ACC.He also has to surrender all his travel documents to the investigating officer dealing with his case and may not apply for new travel documents while he remains on bail.In addition to that, Dirk may not leave the Windhoek district without permission from the investigating officer and may not interfere with the investigation of his case, Magistrate Shilemba ordered.Dirk was told that he has to make his next court appearance in the Noordoewer Magistrate’s Court on June 29.Dirk is the second person to be arrested and charged with alleged corruption connected to Dirk Fruit’s imports of fresh produce through the Noordoewer border post.The customs chief at Noordoewer, Stephanus Owoseb, was arrested and charged in February this year in connection with the alleged bribes that he is claimed to have received through a bank account in his son’s name.The charge against Owoseb also remains pending.Dirk is charged under section 38(b) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003.That section deals with bribery of public officers.It makes it an offence for any person to offer or give a public officer any gratification as an inducement or reward for performing or abstaining from performing any official act.If someone is found guilty of contravening this part of the Act, he or she may be sentenced to pay a fine of up to N$500 000 or to imprisonment of up to 25 years, or to both such a fine and jail term, the Act states.According to ACC Director Paulus Noa, Dirk is facing allegations of bribery involving some N$700 000.It is alleged that he had been paying bribes to a customs official at Noordoewer so that trucks carrying fresh produce from South Africa to Namibia for Dirk Fruit could enter Namibia without customs duties having to be paid on the goods they were bringing into the country, Noa said.He added that it is alleged that Dirk deposited various amounts of money into a bank account in the name of the customs official’s young son.These deposits totalled some N$700 000, he said.The payments are reported to date back as far as 2001.Dirk, represented by lawyer Dirk Conradie, made a first court appearance following his arrest before Magistrate Helvi Shilemba yesterday.State Prosecutor Nuncia Sikongo agreed that he could be released on bail of N$100 000, with a set of conditions attached to his release. One of these conditions is that he must report three times a day during the week at the offices of the ACC.He also has to surrender all his travel documents to the investigating officer dealing with his case and may not apply for new travel documents while he remains on bail.In addition to that, Dirk may not leave the Windhoek district without permission from the investigating officer and may not interfere with the investigation of his case, Magistrate Shilemba ordered.Dirk was told that he has to make his next court appearance in the Noordoewer Magistrate’s Court on June 29.Dirk is the second person to be arrested and charged with alleged corruption connected to Dirk Fruit’s imports of fresh produce through the Noordoewer border post.The customs chief at Noordoewer, Stephanus Owoseb, was arrested and charged in February this year in connection with the alleged bribes that he is claimed to have received through a bank account in his son’s name.The charge against Owoseb also remains pending.Dirk is charged under section 38(b) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003.That section deals with bribery of public officers.It makes it an offence for any person to offer or give a public officer any gratification as an inducement or reward for performing or abstaining from performing any official act.If someone is found guilty of contravening this part of the Act, he or she may be sentenced to pay a fine of up to N$500 000 or to imprisonment of up to 25 years, or to both such a fine and jail term, the Act states.