Eba Kandovazu
THE lawyers in a matter in which the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) is suing the Kora Music Awards organizers will face off for the last time on 31 August this year, before a judgment will be handed down in the Windhoek High Court.
Sarl Mundial Telecom, a company owned by Ernest Adjovi is being sued for N$23.5 million which NTB paid in 2015 to host the show in Namibia. The show was scheduled for March 2016 although it never happened.
NTB Chief Executive Officer Digu //Naobeb said today that the plaintiff has submitted its Heads of argument last Friday and that the Defendants are supposed to file theirs on or before 6 August 2021. //Naobeb said that NTB will then submit its reply before 20 August and the final oral submissions are to be made on 31 August 2021.
The NTB, represented by Advocate Thabang Phatela in its Heads of argument said that the case concerns one of the most reaching abuses of a Namibian public entity by a foreign company its quest to gain access to the public funds at the expense of the NTB.
Adjovi, who was supposed to appear in court as a witness was a no-show during the trial, although his witness statement was read onto the record by his Lawyer. No witnesses were called in to testify in his favour.
“These are the individuals that the NTB CEO dealt with when the agreement was concluded and implemented particularly during the crucial stage from December 2015 to March 2016 stage. For some unexplained reason, the defendant opted at its own risk not to call any individuals who had first-hand knowledge of the agreement and its implementation as witnesses before the Honourable Court to controvert the plaintiff’s version. There was also no explanation given as to their failure to call those witnesses,” NTB argued in their submissions.
