Staff Reporter
WHILE the country is in uproar over the awarding of water infrastructure projects to foreign contractors, the Namibian police have arrested a man who claimed to own a borehole drilling business and scammed villagers out of their hard-earned cash.
The fake businessman, Fredrick Fernando Gariseb, aged 35, appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He was denied bail and also appeared on a separate fraud case after allegedly providing a fake proof of payment to Mashare River Lodge in Rundu.
According to the lodge manager, Maoro Rosa, the suspect submitted a fake proof of payment to the lodge on 17 January 2025. However, the fraud was only discovered on 22 January.
“We got the police to come and arrest him. He wanted to flee that Wednesday night, but I told him the only way he would leave the lodge was if he settled his bill, or alternatively, in a police car,” Rosa said.
Rosa further stated that the suspect had also defrauded two other establishments, namely Kavango River Hotel and Rundu Hotel.
Additionally, Rosa revealed that the police had been searching for Gariseb since 2020 for theft under false pretenses.
“He pretended to be a partner of the Ngato VTC and received payments from potential students for drilling programs,” Rosa said.
