Allexer Namundjembo
Fishrot accused and former justice minister Sacky Shanghala says vehicles used to transport inmates are unsafe.
He told the Windhoek High Court on Monday that the Namibian Police’s handling of prisoner transport is a serious safety risk.
Shanghala compared the conditions to being locked in a “metal cage” and said he would rather not become another statistic, referring to the Mariental crash that killed 12 correctional officers, two police officers, and two civilians.
The collision happened just after 07h00 on the B1 road, about seven kilometres north of Mariental.
Shanghala also told High Court judge Marilize du Plessis that he intends to appeal a previous ruling by deputy judge president Hannelie Prinsloo, who dismissed his application to nullify all rulings made by former trial judge Moses Chinhengo in the Fishrot corruption case.
Last month, Prinsloo dismissed an application from Shanghala and his co-accused, James Hatuikulipi and Pius Mwatelulo, seeking the nullification of Chinhengo’s decisions and a fresh start for the trial.
Prinsloo did not provide reasons for her ruling, saying they would be uploaded to e-justice. By the time of writing, they were not yet available.
This ruling cleared the way for the trial to resume before acting judge Du Plessis, where Chinhengo left off.
Chinhengo resigned from the Fishrot trial in July for “personal reasons” after Shanghala persistently sought his removal.
Shanghala argued that non-Namibian judges can only be appointed under fixed-term contractS.
Chinhengo was first appointed for three months from September to December, and his tenure was later extended. Shanghala claimed this extension was unlawful and unconstitutional.
On the issue of additional prosecution material, Du Plessis dismissed most of Shanghala’s application but ordered the state to give him another printed copy of the evidence already disclosed.
Shanghala and his co-accused remain in custody at the Windhoek Correctional Facility. The case returns for a status hearing on 15 September 2025.
Since his arrest in November 2019, Shanghala has repeatedly challenged the fishrot proceedings, questioning the legality of his detention and the conduct of the trial.
The fishrot scandal, which surfaced in late 2019, involves allegations of corruption, fraud, and money laundering against several senior officials, including Shanghala.
He and his co-accused are accused of receiving bribes from the Icelandic fishing company Samherji in exchange for fishing quotas.
