The central government could not interfere with the court case of the Small and Medium Enterprises Bank and interventions by the Bank of Namibia. President Geingob clarified that the bank was never a Hage Project as portrayed by some, including the press - and that he had been quiet on the bank's discovered questionable investment deals. The bank was established following a cabinet resolution, to convert the former credit guarantee scheme into an SME Bank - during Geingob's tenure as Trade Minister.