A ninth accused charged with racketeering involving fuel valued at N$228 million that was supplied by the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) made a first appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Leo Stefanus (37) is facing counts of corruptly giving gratification, racketeering and money laundering. The close corporation Erongo Petroleum has also been charged with Stefanus’ addition to the case in which eight other individuals appeared in court on Thursday.
Stefanus joins former Namcor managing director Imms Mulunga, former Namcor supply and logistics manager Cedric Willemse, former Namcor finance executive Jennifer Hamukwaya, her husband, Panduleni, former Namcor commercial manager Olivia Dunaiski, brothers Peter and Malakia Elindi, and Lydia Elindi, who is married to Malakia, as accused in the matter.
During his court appearance before magistrate Olga Muharukua on Friday, public prosecutor Menencia Hinda informed the court and Stefanus that he is accused of corruptly paying Jennifer N$500 000 on 17 December 2022.
He allegedly did this by first transferring the money into the bank account of the close corporation Quality Meat Supplies, from where the money was then transferred into the bank account of Panduleni Farming CC for Jennifer’s benefit on the same day.
Jennifer is alleged to have approved the supply of fuel valued at N$22 million by Namcor to Erongo Petroleum, of which Stefanus was the sole member.
Hinda said in the racketeering charge against Stefanus it is alleged that he received fuel valued at N$228 million from Namcor between 1 August 2022 and 4 May 2023, and that he “knew or ought reasonably to have known that the fuel valued at N$228 million form part of the proceeds of unlawful activities”.
In the third charge against Stefanus, the state is alleging that he committed the offence of money laundering on 26 July 2022 by transferring N$350 000 from the bank account of Erongo Petroleum to Quality Meat Supplies and thereafter transferring the same amount to Willemse.
The Anti-Corruption Commision (ACC) said in a statement on Friday that the charges against the nine individuals and corporate entities charged in the matter stem from allegations that the company Enercon Namibia and Erongo Petroleum CC, which are both also charged, significantly exceeded their credit limits with the state-owned entity Namcor when they acquired fuel products valued at N$274.4 million from the entity between August 2022 and May 2023.
It is also alleged that Namcor acquired service station assets at nine Namibian Defence Force bases from Enercon Namibia for N$53.2 million in July 2022 unlawfully and without the approval of Namcor’s board of directors, the ACC stated.
The service station assets were not transferred to Namcor, resulting in a loss of N$53.2 million to the company, because that deal was allegedly done while the service stations were seemingly encumbered under a 15-year agreement between Enercon Namibia and the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, the ACC said as well.
The individual accused are expected to return to court for the start of their bail hearing today.
According to charges listed on the charge sheet on record at the court, Mulunga is facing nine counts, Willemse 11 counts, Dunaiski is charged with 10 counts, and Jennifer and the Elindi brothers are charged with nine counts each.
Six charges are listed against Lydia, while Panduleni is charged with five counts.
The charges include counts of corruptly using an office or position for gratification, corruptly accepting gratification, corruptly giving gratification, fraud, racketeering, which is an offence in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, and money laundering.
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