Zorena Jantze
TAMSON Hatuikulipi, who is currently testifying before the court in his bail application, denied claims that he was the first person the Icelandic fishing company Samherji approached to establish links in the Namibian fishing industry. He said that the company had approached Namibian tycoon Harold Pupkewitz first.
Hatuikulipi, who is charged in connection with an alleged scheme to unlawfully exploit Namibian fishing quotas, including counts of fraud, bribery, racketeering, and money laundering, presented emails to the court dating back to 2011. These emails showed that Johannes Steffanson sought an audience with Harold Pupkewitz, who would then connect him with the then Minister of Fisheries, Bernard Esau.
In an email dated 3 November 2011, Daniel Levin, an Icelandic man who had many years of friendship with Pupkewitz, wrote to Johannes Steffanson about a potential meeting with Harold Pupkewitz, which he organized for him.
Thereafter, Steffanson, on the same date, indicated that Pupkewitz had agreed to meet with them. In response, Levin said that he had no doubt that Pupkewitz would be able to advance their interests successfully: “In fact, since he actually offers his help, I think that it would be good to ask him to put in a good word with the minister with whom he is very close. After he had a chance to meet you on the 8th, it would be no problem for him to call the minister in the afternoon on the 8th, in time for your meeting at the ministry on the 9th,” Levin wrote.
In addition to this, Hatuikulipi presented emails to prove that he indeed carried out business for Samherji by providing them with links to joint ventures in Namibia that were in possession of fishing quotas.
His lawyer, Mbanga Siyomunji, claimed this would disprove the assertions made by Steffanson that payments made to the Fishrot were for bogus agreements.
In his testimony, Tamson highlighted that 3 out of 10 JVs that were fishing right holders were in contact with Samherji through him and James Hatuikulipi.
The bail application is expected to continue tomorrow.
