Family members of the detained fishrot suspects held a silent protest this morning in front of the Windhoek Correctional Facility.
 
The group gathered there, hoping to catch the attention of Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) officials and amplify their request. 

The group of nearly twenty, comprising various family members of the detained fishrot suspects, braved the chilly morning weather on Monday to express their concerns related to the ongoing safety of the suspects.

A team of prosecutors and investigators from Iceland is on a visit to Namibia to probe the alleged involvement of Icelandic citizens in the Fishrot scandal.

The Anti-Corrpution Commission (ACC) says the team arrived in Namibia last Monday and will return to Iceland tomorrow.

The ACC said in a statement that an Icelandic delegation of investigators is currently in Namibia to investigate the potential involvement of their nationals who are alleged to be involved in the Fishrot corruption case.

Former Fisheries Minister Bernhardt Esau is set to spend another Christmas in the confines of the Windhoek Correctional Facility, as High Court Judge David Munsu ruled that he would remain in custody pending trial.

The judge underscored Esau's clear and prominent involvement in all alleged syndicates linked to the Fishrot scandal, based on preliminary evidence presented by the state during bail proceedings.

On the other hand, Nigel Van Wyk, associated with the scandal through his employment at Shanghala's company, has been granted bail under stringent conditions.

Judge Moses Chinhengo has ruled that the Fishrot accused will proceed with the plea-taking, even in the absence of Bernhardt Esau's lawyer, Florian Beukes, who is on medical leave until December 22.

Despite the defense's concerns raised by lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji that his decision could be prejudicial, Chinhengo affirmed the decision, maintaining that the plea-taking will move forward.

It was a busy day in the Windhoek High Court as one of the Fishrot accused, Sacky Shanghala, suffered another blow.

In a firm decision by the High Court, Judge Moses Chinhengo has once again denied requests for postponement in the plea hearing of the individuals accused in the high-profile Fishrot case.

The accused, facing the court in Windhoek, are set to respond to 42 charges of fraud, corruption, and racketeering, marking a significant development in this ongoing legal saga.

Following yesterday's postponement, it was expected that the state would continue where it left off, putting the charges on the accused.

Acting High Court Judge Moses Chinhengo has dismissed an application by Fishrot accused Sacky Shanghala and his co-accused to postpone their case for up to eight months.

Judge Chinhengo did not entertain Shanghala's application, ordering the former Justice Minister and his co-accused to enter a plea.

Chinhengo's ruling paved the way for the state to put the charges against the accused.

Ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha says there is an urgent need to renovate the Windhoek Correctional Facility.

The Ombudsman, accompanied by an observor team, made a late afternoon visit to the male section of the Windhoek Correctional Facility.

Following his visit there, he was satisfied with the general cleanliness; however, he says there is a need for more cleaning materials to assist the inmates in cleaning. 

He also commended the authorities at the correctional facility for having section heads and managing the different areas to keep order.

Trial-awaiting former ministers Bernard Esau and Sacky Shangala have expressed disappointment in Namibia's criminal justice system, claiming that all they did was execute their ministerial functions and not conspire to commit corruption, money laundering, and racketeering.

They told the Ombudsman, Basilius Dyakugha, who visited the Windhoek Correctional Facility to inspect the conditions of the cells and other facilities.

The two former ministers, together with their other accused, have now been in the holding cells for four years as trial-awaiting prisoners.

Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Derek Klazen says the fishrot scandal did not cause the loss of jobs for over 1,000 fishermen, who were part of a strike in 2015.

At his annual industry address at Walvis Bay, Klazen noted that there is a distinction between the Fishrot scandal and the job losses.

The Fishrot scandal implicated several individuals, including politicians and businesspeople, a situation the Walvis Bay Mayor, Trevino Forbes, said impacted people's lives negatively.

The highly anticipated Fishrot trial will no longer commence on October 2, 2023, as planned, as a number of accused persons involved in the matter are fighting to have access to their frozen assets and applying for lawyers through the Directorate of Legal Aid.