Menzies vs Paragon: A night of long knives
As of 21:00 this evening, the urgent court application lodged by Menzies Aviation Namibia is still being heard in the High Court by Judge Shafimana Uietele.
The South African aviation outfit is fighting tooth and nail to continue providing ground-handling services at the Hosea Kutako International Airport.
This is despite the Supreme Court last week having affirmed a High Court ruling which gave blessings to the Namibia Airports Company’s decision to award Paragon Investment Holdings the right to provide ground-handling services at the country’s largest airport.
Menzies, through its lawyer Raymond Heathcote, is pleading for more time to remove its assets and conduct a handover at the airport.
Menzies also argues that Paragon does not have sufficient equipment, staff and experience to execute its mandate.
According to Menzies, there will be a disaster at the airport tomorrow morning if it is forced to evacuate and hand over the ground-handling operations tonight.
However, Paragon’s legal team led by Sisa Namandje, argues that the relief being sought by Menzies is invalid due to the Supreme Court ruling.
He also said Menzies had enough time to evacuate since the Supreme Court judgment.
Namandje accused Menzies of using frivolous tactics to continue operating at the airport and that it is abusing the court processes to make money illegally.
Namandje took issue with the fact that the High Court agreed to hear the matter despite the country’s apex court has already pronounced itself on the matter.
To this, Heathcote replied: “We are not here for the money, although we do make it like everyone else, my client is here for the safety.”
The South African aviation outfit is fighting tooth and nail to continue providing ground-handling services at the Hosea Kutako International Airport.
This is despite the Supreme Court last week having affirmed a High Court ruling which gave blessings to the Namibia Airports Company’s decision to award Paragon Investment Holdings the right to provide ground-handling services at the country’s largest airport.
Menzies, through its lawyer Raymond Heathcote, is pleading for more time to remove its assets and conduct a handover at the airport.
Menzies also argues that Paragon does not have sufficient equipment, staff and experience to execute its mandate.
According to Menzies, there will be a disaster at the airport tomorrow morning if it is forced to evacuate and hand over the ground-handling operations tonight.
However, Paragon’s legal team led by Sisa Namandje, argues that the relief being sought by Menzies is invalid due to the Supreme Court ruling.
He also said Menzies had enough time to evacuate since the Supreme Court judgment.
Namandje accused Menzies of using frivolous tactics to continue operating at the airport and that it is abusing the court processes to make money illegally.
Namandje took issue with the fact that the High Court agreed to hear the matter despite the country’s apex court has already pronounced itself on the matter.
To this, Heathcote replied: “We are not here for the money, although we do make it like everyone else, my client is here for the safety.”
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