Staff Writer
The bail application for former Fishcor Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mike Nghipunya was dismissed on Wednesday by the Windhoek High Court on grounds of public interest and administration of justice.
Defence Lawyer Milton Engelbrecht said that he will consult Nghipunya before making the next move.
Engelbrecht is the representing Nghipunya with advocate Thabang Phatela as a consultant with a mandate only to appeal in the High Court.
“Basically what happened is that the bail has been refused on two issues, the public’s interest and administration of justice. I will only consult the client during the course of the weekend to take further instructions if needed, and then we will peruse the judgment and see the way forward. Although we reserve our rights to take it further, such instructions should only come from the client. Unfortunately, I have to attend to another matter in Otjiwarongo for this whole week,” Engelbrecht told the Windhoek Observer.
After postponing the judgment delivery two weeks ago, Judges Christi Liebenberg and Claudia Claasen based their decision on the solemnity of the offence, the way in which it was committed and the circumstances surrounding the matter.
Nghipunya has been in custody since his arrest on 17 February 2020 for his role in the Fishrot saga on allegations that he used his position as CEO of the state-owned fishing company to allocate fishing rights in exchange for money.
The former Fishcor CEO is facing three charges, including fraud, contravening the Anti-Corruption Act, corruptly using his office for personal gratification as well as money laundering.
