Air Namibia fraud trial to resume
The Windhoek Regional Court is set to hear more details on how N$1.1 million from the liquidated Air Namibia in payments meant for the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) ended up in the bank account of a Windhoek resident when the trial resumes this week.
The hearing, which was scheduled to resume last week, was postponed after the unavailability of 33-year-old Penna Munyunda's lawyer Jermaine Muchali.
Magistrate Venatius Alweendo gave an order for the trial to resume on 18 August, extending the accused's bail to that date.
Munyunda and co-accused Tangi Amon Namwandi (35) have been on trial on charges ranging from fraud to theft, disguising the unlawful origin of a property, and the acquisition, use and possession of proceeds of unlawful activities on different occasions.
The prosecution is alleging that Munyunda and Namwandi diverted N$1.1 million that was intended for payments at the NAC from Air Namibia in 2017. The unauthorised diversion of funds has led to Air Namibia losing N$289 000, according to the prosecution.
The two denied guilt at the start of their trial in November 2019.
Namwandi had through his defence lawyer Sisa Namandje at the time admitted that an amount of N$1.1 million was indeed deposited into his company's account, held under the name Normma CC at First National Bank on the date in question.
He explained that the funds were transferred to the account by Air Namibia. Namwandi further admitted that he spent N$289 000 of the said money as he believed that the money was his, paid into his company's account by his debtors.
The accused, however, denied that he conspired with an employee of Air Namibia in an attempt to steal money that was deposited into his company's account by mistake.
Munyunda, after taking his plea, opted to remain silent, with his defence attorney informing the court that the State should prove the allegations levelled against him.
Police arrested Namwandi and Munyunda on 4 October 2017 after a local bank alerted Air Namibia of a detected dubious diversion of money that was meant for payment to the NAC.
It is alleged that the transfer in question was fully authorised and signed off to be paid to NAC when a suspicious request was made to the bank for the money to be transferred to a different bank account other than that of the NAC.
The accused are currently out on N$50 000 bail each. Namwandi is represented by Milton Engelbrecht, with Fillemon Nyau prosecuting for the State.
