Fishrot accused fails to pay construction firm

ONE of the six accused in the Fishrot scandal, businessman Tamson ‘Fitty’ Hatuikulipi, has failed to pay N$150 000 to a construction company building his multimillion-dollar house in Windhoek.

Hatuikulipi is the son-in-law of fallen former fisheries minister Bernhard Esau, who is also facing allegations of receiving massive kickbacks in the fishing industry from Icelandic company Samherji.

Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, the manager of the Chinese construction company Fuyao Investment, Cheng Feng Hsieh, told The Namibian that they were contracted from 1 November this year until 4 December to work on Hatuikulipi’s house.

However, since Hatuikulipi’s arrest, he has not paid the contracting company the amount of N$150 000 to pay the 17 workers on site.

Hsieh said he consulted a labour expert, who informed them to wait until Friday to hear if Hatuikulipi will be released and sort out their payment.

The Fishrot 6 – including Esau and disgraced ex-justice minister Sacky Shanghala – filed a case in which they are asking the High Court to order their immediate release from custody due to the alleged illegality of their arrest, and “rough” treatment in custody.

An urgent application by Tamson, Esau, Shanghala and their co-accused – James Hatuikulipi, Ricardo Gustavo and Pius ‘Taxa’ Mwatelulo – was filed at the Windhoek High Court last Friday, and is due to be heard today.

However, Hsieh said if Tamson is not released, they will have to visit him in prison to discuss the terms of payment.

Tamson and Shanghala’s bank accounts were frozen in the wake of the fishing kickback exposé. Anti-Corruption Commission director general Paulus Noa last week declined to comment on whether their accounts have been unfrozen.

Noa referred The Namibian to the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and the Office of the Prosecutor General for more information.

By law, the FIC can order the suspension of bank accounts for 12 days.

After that, the prosecutor general can apply for bank accounts linked to money-laundering and crime to be frozen.