Cape Town – Former acting CEO for the National Fishing Corporation of Namibia (Fishcor) Paulus Ngalangi was reportedly arrested and released on N$6 000 bail on Sunday for allegedly assisting Immanuwela David, one of the suspects in the robbery of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm to enter Namibia illegally in 2020.
According to IOL, Ngalangi said he was unaware of the robbery at the time and was simply assisting a friend who asked him to fetch David after he illegally entered Namibia by crossing the Orange River in a canoe.
“I honestly didn’t know him or even that he was involved in the robbery at President Ramaphosa’s farm. I was just doing a friend a favour,” said Ngalangi as quoted by the report.
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Ngalangi was accompanied by a police officer, Hendrick Hidipo Nghede, in assisting David, the report said.
The Namibian reported that David was apprehended by authorities and tested positive for Covid-19 at the time. He became Namibia’s 33rd Covid-19 case.
Ngalangi’s position as acting CEO of Fishcor was terminated and he was forced to resign after his arrest.
He and Nghede were scheduled to stand trial in August for their roles in assisting David.
The robbers allegedly broke into Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in the northeast of the country in 2020. They allegedly found $4 million in cash hidden in furniture.
ALSO READ | ‘I will not respond to insults’ – Cash heist puts Cyril Ramaphosa on back foot
South Africa’s former spy boss Arthur Fraser recently reported the matter to the police. He said that Ramaphosa hid the heist from police and the tax authorities.
Fraser accused Ramaphosa of organising the kidnapping and questioning of the burglars, and then Bribing them to keep quiet.
Ramaphosa, on the other hand, has acknowledged the burglary but disputed the amount of money involved and said the cash came from legitimate sales of game at his farm.
He denied the alleged kidnapping and bribery, saying he reported the burglary to the police after he had learned of it.
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Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
