Graft accused blamed for economic woes

The state has accused the suspects implicated in the multi-m i l l i o n-dollar ‘Fishrot’ bribery scandal of having contributed to the country's economic problems. ‘They (accused) have killed the economy. They directly contributed to the demise of the country's economy,’ stated prosecutor Cliff Lutibezi. New Era reports that Ricardo Gustavo, one of the suspects in the matter, is applying for bail. He is a former Investec Asset Management manager and the director of Namgomar Pesca Namibia. He has been charged along with former Fisheries Minister Bernhard Esau, former Justice Minister Sacky Shanghala and three others. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, the suspects are accused of colluding with Icelandic seafood company Samherji and receiving kickbacks for fishing quotas. The bail application continues.