Allexer Namundjembo
Landless People’s Movement (LPM) member of parliament Eneas Emvula has called on Canadian authorities to review the conduct of suspended lawyer Jay Park over alleged conflicts of interest linked to Namibia’s petroleum sector.
In a letter addressed to the Law Society of Alberta and copied to Canadian officials, including minister of justice and solicitor general of Alberta Mickey Amery and minister of international trade Mary Ng, Emvula raised concerns about Park’s role in Namibia’s petroleum legislation.
The letter alleges that Park, a suspended Canadian lawyer, advised the Namibian government on drafting its petroleum legislation while simultaneously holding multiple roles at ReconAfrica, including founder, former chief executive officer, former executive chairman, and legal advisor.
It further claims that his professional biography indicates he is involved in creating laws and regulations that allocate petroleum rights and that Namibia is listed among the jurisdictions where he operates.
Emvula linked the concerns to proposed amendments to Namibia’s petroleum law, warning that the bill could entrench earlier decisions.
He pointed out that a key concern is that the proposed changes would validate prior approvals despite earlier procedural defects.
“I am in possession of a complaint made to the Law Society of Alberta regarding a matter of national importance to Namibia. According to these materials and the public record, Jay Park is a suspended Canadian lawyer who advised the Namibian government on drafting its petroleum legislation while he was the founder, former chief executive officer, former executive chairman and legal advisor to ReconAfrica, a Canadian oil company exploring in Namibia,” the letter reads.
The letter also references past allegations involving ReconAfrica, stating that the company was accused of making false and misleading public statements about fracking, the potential for recoverable oil and the treatment of communities near drilling sites during Park’s tenure in leadership and legal roles.
Emvula has tabled a motion in the National Assembly calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the company’s operations in the Kavango region.
He noted that the motion is currently before the house and awaiting motivation to initiate an investigation.
He further raised concerns about how a complaint against Park was handled by the Law Society of Alberta, arguing that the executive director mischaracterised the matter as relating to legislation in the United States, despite the complaint being centred on Namibia.
According to Emvula, the regulator failed to assess the complaint properly and did not demonstrate sufficient understanding of the issues, particularly given their implications for Namibia’s sovereignty.
The letter also criticises the handling of the case, including the dismissal of the allegations as scandalous, which he said reflects a lack of seriousness.
Emvula stressed that the matter extends beyond Alberta, affecting Namibia’s legal framework, resource governance, and democratic accountability.
He further pointed to the involvement of Canadian law enforcement, noting that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Sensitive and International Investigations unit engaged with the complaint in 2022.
He has since called on the Law Society of Alberta to conduct a public-interest review into the handling of the complaint and to open a new investigation into Park’s conduct.
“The failure to comprehend the Namibian context and the evident lack of investigative rigour and how such a ruling could be upheld by an appeal panel. Second, that the Law Society open a fresh regulatory process addressing Park’s continuing public representations, including whether his biographies, conference materials and corporate descriptions amount to misleading professional presentations, unauthorised holding-out, or conduct inconsistent with his suspended status. These violations have yet to be addressed, let alone remediated,” he said.
He also requested that Park produce records linked to his role in Namibia’s petroleum laws, including any advisory, drafting or consulting work related to legislation, licensing structures and the current amendment bill.
