Fraud accused Chinese secures N$500k bail

Fraud accused Chinese secures N$500k bail Case transferred to the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court Prominent lawyer Sisa Namandje has argued strongly against the second arrest of his client. The Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon granted bail of N$500 000 to 48-year-old Chinese-born businessman Hongang Zhu who was arrested early this week on charges of fraud and money laundering and contravening section 9 of the customs and excise act. Magistrate Petrus Nangula granted the bail and postponed the case to 27 December next week, with the case now to be heard in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court.

Nangula ordered Zhu not to interfere with any state witnesses and that he should not leave the country without the consent of the investigative officer. Zhu is the owner of Glory Building Material Supply in Ondangwa and is said to be a Namibian national.

He was arrested on Monday. However, he did not appear within 48 hours to face his three charges, prompting his release on Wednesday afternoon after the case was struck off the roll.

However, the Namibian police rearrested him yesterday and brought him before the Ondangwa court. During his appearance yesterday, his lawyer Sisa Namandje argued strongly against his second arrest, saying it was unlawful and that the state was making mockery of the justice system. Namandje claimed the court already reached an agreement when it pronounced itself on Wednesday by striking the case off the roll and that his client should be released.

He demanded the state to provide an original copy of the warrant of arrest as the one presented in court was a faxed document. However, the prosecutor Frank Tjibeba argued that the state rearrested Zhu in accordance with the law, saying that it was a new day and a new case with its own case number although the accused person remained the same. This time around Zhu was arrested on charges of fraud and for contravening section 6 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 28 of 2004 which is about the acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities.

Namandje criticised Tjibeba’s ethics and professionalism saying that what he did qualifies him for disciplinary measures.

Namandje challenged the state to inform the court as to where N $3.5 billion, which his client is being arrested for and reported in the media, comes from. Tjibeba explained that because the case is a Windhoek case the Ondangwa court is not in possession of the case docket and he cannot say where the amount is derived from.

However, in his first submissions he confidently said the amount involved is N$3.5 billion. Namandje argued that the state was not taking the court seriously as they did not have a case docket at hand. Zhu was released on bail and will appear in Windhoek on Tuesday next week.



KENYA KAMBOWE