A high-profile criminal trial involving prominent Namibians is set to start in the High Court at the Windhoek Correctional Service Centre in the capital tomorrow.

The much-publicised corruption trial dubbed the Fishrot trial, involves former Cabinet ministers Bernadt Esau and Sackey Shanghala, as well as former business executives James Hatuikulipi and Ricardo Gustavo.

Matters came to a head in November 2019 when police swooped on former Fisheries Minister Bernardt Esau and Justice Minister Sackey Shanghala. 

Other arrests followed swiftly.

The matter had tongues wagging because of the prominence of the accused as well as the extent of the allegations.

Tomorrow, 26 July, will see all 10 accused lining up before Justice Moses Chinhengo to see the start of a trial, which had been plagued by numerous delays.
 
Judge Chinhengo, who survived a host of attempts by the accused to recuse him from the trial, already entered not-guilty pleas on behalf of those who refused to plea during a previous hearing.

Other accused are pension fund business executives Ricardo Gustavo and James Hatuikulipi, Pius Mwatelulo, Tamson Hatuikulipi, former Fishcor CEO Mike Nghipunya, Otneel Shuudifonya, Phillipus Mwapopi, and Nigel van Wyk.

They are charged with corruptly receiving payments of at least N$300 million to give a competitive advantage to Icelandic fishing company Samherji in securing access to horse mackerel quotas in Namibia. 

The accused are facing more than 40 counts, including racketeering, contravening the Anti-Corruption Act, conspiracy, corruptly using an office to receive gratification, fraud, theft, and money laundering, as well as defeating or obstructing the course of justice.