Namcor court case day 10:

BAIL GRANTED … Magistrate Linus Samunzala on Friday granted Lydia Elindi, the wife of former Enercon owner Peter Elindi, bail in an amount of N$50 000. Samunzala in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court said the state’s decision to reconsider and abandon its initial opposition to Lydia’s bail application was based on the availability of evidence and in the interest of justice and not due to any ulterior motives.

State prosecutor Basson Lilongwe proposed that Lydia be granted bail in an amount of N$30 000. Lilongwe, however, argued that this does not mean there is no case against Lydia, as investigations into the case will continue. Lydia previously testified that she was able to pay N$5 000 bail only. She shared a kiss with her husband before she left the courtroom.

As part of her bail conditions, Lydia must report to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) every Tuesday and Friday between 08h00 and 17h00. She is required to surrender her passport and any firearms to the investigating officer, and is prohibited from interfering with the ongoing investigation. She is also prohibited from leaving the Windhoek district without notifying the ACC until her scheduled return to court on 28 August.

TEST DRIVING N$3.2 MILLION … During public prosecutor Basson Lilungwe’s cross-examination of former Namcor managing director Imms Mulunga, who has been charged with corruption and fraud at Namcor, on Friday, he testified that he took the Audi RSQ8 he received from fugitive Victoria Malima for a test drive on multiple occasions. Mulunga previously denied allegations that he received a luxury Audi vehicle worth over N$3.2 million as part of a bribe from Malima. He, however, claimed he drove the vehicle as he was interested in buying it and took it for a service upon Malima’s request.

MASTERMIND … Imms Mulunga has denied being the mastermind behind the Namcor deal under scrutiny. He testified in court that he did not initiate fraudulent agreements between Enercon and Namcor and was only in charge of signing off the agreements. However, during his testimony on Thursday the court was told that Mulunga had disregarded Namcor’s rule that the board must approve all transactions above N$20 million.

Mulunga further claimed that during his tenure, Namcor’s revenue increased to N$7.4 million. He said Namcor fired him prior to a disciplinary hearing on the asset purchase agreement. Mulunga said Namcor’s performance deteriorated after his departure.

During former Namcor finance executive Jennifer Hamukwaya’s testimony at the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday, she testified that her two children, of which one is a minor, have been left without a guardian, following the arrest of both her and her husband, Panduleni. Jennifer was arrested on 8 July at her workplace, the Namibian Qualifications Authority, where she serves as finance manager.

She claimed that the operation of a tuck shop she owns at the International University of Management, which generates between N$18 000 and N$20 000 per month, has been negatively impacted by her arrest. The shop employs two workers, whose livelihoods have also been affected.

Jennifer, who was born in Zambia while her parents were in exile and returned to Namibia in 1989, told the court she has no current ties to Zambia. She denied any involvement in the asset purchase agreement between Namcor and Enercon.

She said her role as a joint signatory of Enercon’s bank account was supervisory, intended to safeguard and protect Namcor’s interests as per the March 2022 agreement. This was to ensure the funds received from the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs for Enercon were not used for other purposes other than fuel purchases from Namcor.

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