Sacky Shanghala

Also known as: Shanghala · former attorney general and justice minister Sacky Shanghala · former Minister of Justice Sacky Shanghala · the former minister of justice · accused · Sackeus Shanghala · former minister Sacky Shanghala · Antonio Muvua Cheme · Johan Paru Morkel · Morkel · former justice minister Sacky Shanghala · the former Cabinet minister

Former attorney general and justice minister accused in the Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering trial.

Politics

Fishrot prosecutors threaten resignation, receive N$54,000 salary increase

The News

Two high-profile state prosecutors leading the Fishrot fraud and corruption trial, Deputy Prosecutor General Ed Marondedze and State Prosecutor Cliff Lutibezi, threatened to resign over low pay and were subsequently granted a N$54,000 monthly salary increase. The salary increase has drawn criticism from some colleagues whose own pleas for raises have not been addressed, and from a former deputy prosecutor general who says the timing is problematic given the case's current stage.

7 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 7 February

Fishrot prosecutors threaten resignation, receive N$54,000 salary increase
Two high-profile state prosecutors leading the Fishrot fraud and corruption trial, Deputy Prosecutor General Ed Marondedze and State Prosecutor Cliff Lutibezi, threatened to resign over low pay and were subsequently granted a N$54,000 monthly salary increase. The salary increase has drawn criticism from some colleagues whose own pleas for raises have not been addressed, and from a former deputy prosecutor general who says the timing is problematic given the case's current stage.
7 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Friday 6 February

Accused seek judge's recusal in Fishrot corruption trial
Former attorney general Sacky Shanghala and co-accused James Hatuikulipi have filed an application asking acting judge Marilize du Plessis to step down from their Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering trial, alleging bias and partiality. This is the third recusal application in the case; two previous judges turned down similar requests.
6 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 5 February

Shanghala seeks removal of Acting Judge in Fishrot case
Former justice minister Sacky Shanghala has applied for Acting Judge Marilize du Plessis to recuse herself from presiding over the Fishrot matter, alleging bias and apprehension of partiality based on the Judge's statements and treatment of defence applications. The matter has been postponed to 11 February 2026, with a hearing on the recusal application scheduled for 9 March 2026.
5 February 2026 · New Era →

Wednesday 4 February

Murder trial enters disputes over police conduct and confession validity
Three men accused of killing businessman Daniele Ferrari in July 2020 are claiming police brutality, torture, and that their confessions were made under duress and without proper legal warnings. The trial has moved into a trial-within-a-trial as defense lawyers contest the admissibility of the confessions and crime scene evidence, while police maintain the confessions were obtained without coercion.
4 February 2026 · Informanté →

Friday 23 January

Judge finds Shanghala and co-accused delaying Fishrot trial
Acting judge Marilize du Plessis ruled that former justice minister Sacky Shanghala and two co-accused have been using a strategy to delay their Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering trial, which has been pending since October 2021 without witness testimony yet beginning. Du Plessis rejected their postponement applications and ordered the trial to continue, though she granted a brief postponement to allow defence representation time to prepare.
23 January 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 22 January

Fishrot corruption trial set to begin March 9, 2026
After nearly six years, the fishing quota corruption trial in which Namibian fisheries resources were allegedly stolen through deals with Icelandic company Samherji will begin on March 9, 2026. Acting Judge Marilize du Plessis rejected multiple postponement applications from former minister Sacky Shanghala and co-accused, ruling that lengthy delays in the civil review process and years of court proceedings weighed against further delay.
22 January 2026 · New Era →
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 →

Wednesday 21 January

Shanghala challenges prosecutor fees as unfair trial issue
Former Justice Minister Sackeus Shanghala has criticized the state's decision to pay prosecutors N$1.5 million in the Fishrot corruption case while denying similar funding to defence counsel, arguing it violates fair trial principles and creates unequal arms between prosecution and defence. The High Court has postponed the matter to 21 January 2026 for a ruling on the remuneration dispute and whether the trial should be postponed.
21 January 2026 · Informanté →