Anatomy of a fish deal … NAMANDJE’S ANSWERS TO AL JAZEERA

Namandje denied any wrongdoing in a 75-page memo to Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit. “In respect of Fishcor, you make no allegations of illegalities against me but, for strange reasons, you simply and arrogantly want to ask me questions for information,” he countered.

“I conduct thousands of transactions per year, and you have the guts to ask me simply to declare to you! Unfortunately, you had it wrong. I have no business discussing clients’ matters with third parties and the media, foreign media for that matter.

“My law firm, like others in Namibia, each year deals with millions of funds from various clients. Such information is protected by the attorney-client confidentiality, a basic principle well-established in any democratic country.

“I reserve my rights to take action in respect of all these malicious insinuations.

“I, therefore, record that I did not agree to an illegal method of transferring a donation of US$200 000 to Esau through our company trust account.

“As stated, I provided Sacky [Kadhila Amoomo] with a general Swapo Party file reference number, which a donation to election campaign activities in the amount of N$200 000 (not US$200 000) was to be paid in. It was not US$200 000.

“As there was no use of our law firm’s trust account to obscure any payment to a minister, the issue of payment to our law firm for such work does not arise. I must point out the file reference S2702 I gave to Sacky was for a donation to the Swapo Party //Kharas election campaign to be paid in, which donation amount would then have been channelled through to such campaign activities by Kadhila.

“I have never involved myself in any money-laundering activities, and my rights in this respect remain specifically reserved as you have no factual basis to make such insinuations.

“You claim to have the recording of the first meeting I had with your team together with three of my colleagues on 16 July 2019.

“The context in which Sacky’s name was introduced to your team would be very clear from their recording, if you are not selective.

I referred your team to the Namibian Investment Centre, and for tax purposes I referred them to PWC, and on matters relating to their intended investment in the fishing industry I referred them to Sacky. Nothing wrong with all that.

“I have no information of Sacky instructing your journalists to break the law. Sacky is a respected businessman. He has informed me, which was confirmed by your team, that they wanted to invest in a fishing vessel with his company, and that they also wanted to invest in properties. The question of breaking the law therefore does not arise.

There was an attempt to indirectly find out whether or not it would be possible to line up meetings with other people, including the president.

I cautioned the reporter to stay away from deals that may appear corrupt. He and his colleague showed me pictures of them with the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, and asked me again if I could be able to link them to the Namibian president. I refused to do that. They begged and begged to see the president of the country through me, and I refused. They also begged for me to be their partner in deals in Namibia. I refused to.”