Zorena Jantze
WHILE Victor Malima has vanished into the big quiet—where the law’s echo never quite arrives—his mother, Martha Antindi (56), has distanced herself from his actions. She insists she is a simple laywoman who neither speaks nor reads English and had no knowledge of any money tied to criminal activity.
Malima has been on the run for seven months after the arrest of his associates in the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) N$400 million money laundering, fraud and corruption case. Malima’s poisoned chalice has led to the arrest of 14 individuals in the Namcor case after funds from Malima’s entities, Eco Trading and Eco Fuel Investment, forwarded millions of dollars to different entities linked to the accused.
Antindi and her 33-year-old sister, Johanna Mundjego, were arrested in early February after the state alleged that funds paid from Namcor to Enercon were further laundered via Eco Fuel Investment, in which the women are said to hold 50% interest each.
FREE BIRDS: The mother of fugitive, Victor Malima, Martha Antindi (56), and her sister, Johanna Mundjego. Photos: ACC
In an affidavit prepared with the assistance of her lawyers, Silas-Kishi Shakumu and Nadine Ada Shaamena, Antindi spoke on behalf of herself and her sister, Mundjego.
“As an introductory note; we both stand accused of corruption and money laundering in that we were called equal interest holders on a 50/50 percent basis in Eco Fuel Investment cc; in which alleged proceeds of unlawful activity to the amount of N$1.5 million were deposited by Eco Trading. Both entities are owned by Victor Malima, a fugitive in the Namcor fraud and corruption case,” Antindi said.
She however insisted that she and her younger sister did not play any active role in acquiring and/or distributing any funds to anyone.
“We did not have any knowledge of the funds deposited in the bank account of Eco Fuel Investment CC and/or Eco Trading CC and at no time have we performed the role of a paymaster on behalf of anyone or any business entity,” Antindi said.
She further noted that although the charges allege that they are both interest holders in Eco Fuel Investment, that is not correct. Only Johanna Mundjego is the interest holder of Eco Fuel Investment CC.
Antindi further stated that she only holds interests in Eco Trading CC.
“I was once a member in Eco Fuel Investment CC but have relinquished my ownership of the entity in 2024,” Antindi said, adding that the alleged offences were committed in December 2022 before she had even been a member of the cc.
Antindi further said that her son Malima was in charge of all the operational, trading and investment responsibilities and that they had signed a document in terms of which their authority over the operations of each business entity was delegated to Victor Malima.
“We both cannot read or write English and therefore won’t be able to identify the delegation of authority presented to us,” Antindi said.
On the count of theft in the amount of N$172,000.00 she is charged with, Antindi said that this is the total amount in allowances she received from Malima.
“In the event that it is established that my allowances were derived from stolen money, I state that at all material times thereto I did not know the source of these funds because I was not a member in Eco Trading at its inception. I only became a member of Eco Trading CC in 2024 and the alleged corruption happened in December 2022,” Antindi said.
She added that her sister Mundjego is equally charged with theft of N$227,000.00 which money is allegedly wrongfully paid to Enercon Namibia Pty Ltd around 5 December 2022 and 20 May 2023 by Namcor Petroleum Trading and Distribution Pty Ltd.
“Upon inquiring from her about this transaction, she equally informed me that she was not privy to such bank transactions including the amount of N$227,000.00 she allegedly stole. She maintains that this amount is a salary bonus she received over the years,” Antindi said.
The two woman were granted bail in the amount of N$ 50 000.00 each with conditions attached after State Prosecutor Menencia Hinda noted that the state no longer objects to the granting of bail. The matter was postponed to 19 March for an update on the completion of investigations.
