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.

The bail hearing of the former Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, Bernhardt Esau, has been postponed to the 9th of June.

Esau is implicated in one of the biggest multimillion-dollar fishing corruption scandals.

In today's hearing, the former minister confirmed having received an amount of N$150,000 in his farming account from his son-in-law, Tamson Hatukuilipi, in 2012.

The court wanted Esau to explain the transaction, to which he replied that it was payment for 25 cattle he sold to Hatukulipi.

Former Fisheries Minister Bernhardt Esau points fingers at key figures in an explosive testimony.

In a gripping turn of events at the High Court, former Fisheries Minister Bernhardt Esau took to the stand during his bail application to reveal shocking details of his alleged involvement in the notorious "Fishrot" scandal.

Esau made a jaw-dropping revelation, claiming that his name was falsely implicated by his co-accused in the exposed web of corruption that spans multiple individuals and reaches the high echelons of power.

The Former Minister of Marine Resources Bernhardt Esau asserted that Namibia and its citizens benefited from an agreement that was entered into with Angola.

Esau said this during the continuation of his bail hearing application.

The agreement between the two countries resulted in the establishment of Namgomar Pesca, a joint venture company that played a significant role in the Fishrot fishing quota fraud and corruption case.

According to state prosecutors, Namgomar Pesca was granted questionable fishing quotas during Bernhardt Esau's tenure as minister.

The former Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Bernhardt Esau, returned to the Windhoek High Court this afternoon, where he informed Justice David Munsu that he has no reason to flee the country if granted bail.
 
Esau, during his last appearance, assured the court that he could pay a sum of N$200,000 for his temporary freedom.

He faces a myriad of charges, in which over N$350 million was allegedly embezzled.

Former Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Bernhardt Esau has refuted claims that the fishing corruption scandal has resulted in an estimated 18 000 job losses in the fishing industry.

Esau maintained that the job losses were a result of the illegal strike the workers undertook.

At the height of the events surrounding the Fishrot scandal, fishermen who were employed by the Samherji-owned Saga Seafood, which operated from Walvis Bay, closed down.

These fishermen were subsequently robbed of their livelihood.

Former Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources and Fishrot accused, Bernhardt Esau, says he is willing to pay bail of N$200,000.

He said this as he pleaded with the High Court for his release.

During Thursday's bail hearing, Esau disputed the evidence that implicates him in the laundering of millions of dollars using entities placed under his care.

Bernhardt Esau, while acknowledging that he once held an important public office, says he remains a citizen of Namibia and reminds the court that he too should be treated like any other citizen.

Fishrot accused and former Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Bernhardt Esau told the High Court on Thursday that his co-accused, specifically Mike Nghipunya, used his name to distribute and sell fishing quotas while redirecting funds meant for Governmental Objectives for their own benefit.

Former Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Bernhardt Esau informed Judge David Munsu that his health condition has worsened after his incarceration at the Windhoek Correctional Facility.

Esau, who is applying for bail, informed Munsu that the facility does not have the capacity to provide proper care to those who suffer from chronic illnesses.

He has been admitted to the Lady Pohamba private hospital twice now; his hospital stay came at a time when his bail application was set to resume.

Nigel van Wyk, a co-accused in the Fishrot scandal, denied any wrongdoing or unlawfully gaining any proceeds from companies implicated in the ongoing corruption case when he testified during his bail hearing application today.

His arrest, he says, was circumstantial as he was found with laptops and desktop screens, which he collected from Sackey Shanghala's house.

At the time, Shanghala was already in detention.