Says only Austin had access to bank accounts
Staff Reporter
LEO Nandago, the ninth accused in the ongoing fraud and corruption case involving the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), who is charged with allegedly paying a bribe to Jennifer Hamukwaya to authorize the transfer of fuel worth over N$200 million on credit, said that he did not have access to the bank accounts of Erongo Petroleum and, as such, could not have made such payments.
Nandago, a plumber, was arrested in Ondangwa on 10 July 2025 in relation to the fraud and corruption case which caused the state entity losses amounting to over N$400 million after its credit limits were allegedly breached, and fuel storage tanks—which allegedly already belonged to the Ministry of Defence—were sold to it fraudulently.
The State alleges that Nandago, in December 2022, corruptly paid a gratification of N$500,000 into the bank account of Quality Meat Supplies CC, which was then transferred into the bank account of Panduleni Farming CC, for the benefit of Jennifer Hamukwaya, the former Executive of Finance and Administration at Namcor, for her to approve the supply of fuel worth N$238 million to Erongo Petroleum, a company the accused was allegedly a 100% shareholder of.
Nandago, however, denied claims that he is a 100% owner of Erongo Petroleum and added that, as of 15 February 2024, he had transferred his 30% interest shareholding to Austin Elindi, another accused in the matter, making Elindi the 100% member of Erongo Petroleum.
He added that other members of the CC, including Saima Immanuel, ceased to be members from 23 December 2022, while Matheus Pendukeni Iyambo and Christina Kambodi ceased to be members in October 2023. Nandago questioned why other persons who had also been part of Erongo Petroleum had not been arrested.
Further to this, Nandago presented a power of attorney document signed in June 2022 by himself, Saima Immanuel, and Matheus Pendukeni Iyambo, which gave Austin Elindi power over all legal matters pertaining to the company without consulting any other members.
“Although I was an authorized signatory to Erongo Petroleum, I had no access to the bank account, as such access and power were assigned to Austin. Nor did I have online banking access, thus I could not make the N$500,000 payment to Quality Meat Supplies CC in December 2022, as alleged by the State in Count 60. I did not know who made the transfer or for what purpose. The transfer, which is the subject of Count 60, was made via Electronic Fund Transfer. I did not have access to the online banking details nor account details of Erongo Petroleum and could not have been able to make the transfer. It is incorrect for the ACC and the State to claim that the transfer was made by me, simply because I was a member and signatory of the bank account,” Nandago said.
