… As cabinet deliberates on new Fishcor board
Staff Writer
The continued role of Mike Nghipunya as Chief Executive Officer of the National Fishing Corporation (Fishcor) continues to be shrouded in amid a deafening silence from key stakeholders of the company.
This comes more than five months after he was suspended from the company and subsequently arrested 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.
Nghipunya is facing three charges, including fraud, contravening the Anti-Corruption Act and corruptly using office for gratification as well as money laundering.
Fisheries minister, Albert Kawana when contacted by the Windhoek Observer said he was not privy to information regarding Nghipunya’s continued role as CEO of Fishcor.
“It is that better you check with the Ministry of Public Enterprises because most parastatals including Fishcor now fall under that ministry,” Kawana said.
Fishcor’s former board chairperson, Bennett Kangumu, whose term expired last month, was tightlipped on the board’s position regarding Nghipunya despite having previously announced that the company’s board had instituted an investigation into the CEO’s conduct.
“I cannot talk about board issue to you. The Ministry of Public Enterprises is in a better position to assist with the information you require,” he said without pronouncing the finding of the board’s investigation into the Fishcor CEO as announced in December.
Kangumu’s refusal to comment on the matter comes after it emerged Public Enterprises minister, Leon Jooste wrote to his board regarding the matter, following up to his November request to then Fisheries Acting minister, Albert Kawana that Nghipunya be immediately dismissed for his Fishrot role. Instead, he was suspended.
Sources say the new Fishcor board will be tasked with resolving the Nghipunya’s issue and recruiting a new head of the government owned fishing company.
Public Enterprises ministry Deputy Executive Director, Louise Shixwameni said the minister was in a better position to pronounce on the Nghipunya matter, but confirmed the ministry had completed the selection process of a new board.
“The selection process which was an independent process was completed to select a new board after we called on applicants. The list has now been submitted to cabinet for deliberation,” she said.
Fishcor is the holding company of Seaflower Whitefish and Seaflower Lobster. Seaflower Lobster is owned fully by Fishcor while Seaflower Whitefish is owned 78 percent by Fishcor and 22 percent by the Governors’ Trust. Seaflower Whitefish operates in the hake industry and has a processing facility in Lüderitz, while Seaflower Lobster is the only company with an operating factory for lobsters in Namibia.
