Namibia Minute.
Friday, 24 April 2026
A daily Namibian brief · Est. 2026
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Organization

Prevention of Organised Crime Act

Also known as: Poca

Legislation enabling asset seizure and forfeiture in fraud and corruption cases, applied in Fishrot and other financial crime prosecutions.

Politics

Fugitive Fishrot lawyer sues over N$1.3 million pension seizure

The News

Marén de Klerk, a fugitive lawyer wanted in connection with the Fishrot fraud case, is challenging the Namibian Police's seizure of his N$1.3 million retirement annuity with Sanlam Namibia, arguing the seizure violates the Pension Funds Act and that pension benefits cannot be seized under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

27 January 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 27 January

  1. Fugitive Fishrot lawyer sues over N$1.3 million pension seizure

    Marén de Klerk, a fugitive lawyer wanted in connection with the Fishrot fraud case, is challenging the Namibian Police's seizure of his N$1.3 million retirement annuity with Sanlam Namibia, arguing the seizure violates the Pension Funds Act and that pension benefits cannot be seized under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

    27 January 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 22 January

  1. Fishrot trial postponed to March 2026 pending appeals

    High Court Judge Marilize du Plessis postponed the Fishrot trial to 9–20 March 2026 after defendants' unsuccessful bid for a longer postponement pending a collateral review against the Anti-Corruption Commission. Sackeus Shanghala indicated he will appeal the judge's refusal, challenging the ACC's authority to have investigated evidence under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act prior to 2023.

    22 January 2026 · Informanté

  2. Police pursue more arrests in N$314.9 million Namdia diamond heist

    Namibian police are seeking additional arrest warrants in the Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) robbery investigation, with authorities pursuing suspects linked to the theft and the proceeds from stolen diamonds. The latest arrest, of alleged Namdia security officer Charles Rhoman, followed a suspicious livestock transaction in April 2025, bringing the total arrests to eight.

    22 January 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 15 January

  1. Namdia security officer arrested over diamond heist investigation

    Charles Rhoman, a protection officer at state-owned diamond enterprise Namdia, was arrested and appeared in court in relation to a diamond heist in January 2025. He faces charges including obstructing justice and possessing proceeds of unlawful activity, and is allegedly linked to relatives arrested in May after selling diamonds connected to the heist in South Africa.

    15 January 2026 · Informanté

Friday 9 January

  1. Judicial witness protection in Namibia and Africa remains inadequate

    According to New Era, a legal practitioner argues that witness protection frameworks across the region fail to safeguard participants in courts and tribunals adequately. The opinion cites the killing of a witness in South Africa's Madlanga Commission and a prosecutor attacked in Ondangwa, Namibia, as evidence that drastic measures—including risk assessments, protected testimony methods, and surveillance—are needed to protect all court participants.

    9 January 2026 · New Era

Namibia Minute