Amnesty welcome Ndaitwah’s visit to Iceland
Transparency International Iceland (TI-IS) and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in Namibia have welcomed the ongoing visit of a team of Namibian investigators and prosecutors to Iceland to discuss cooperation regarding prosecutions in the Fishrot corruption scandal.
“We are also encouraged by the simultaneous visit of a delegation led by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s minister of international relations, to Iceland this week,” the two organisations said.
TI-IS and the IPPR hope Nandi-Ndaitwah’s visit to Iceland can be used as an opportunity for the two governments to boost cooperation on tackling corruption in both countries and, in particular, the need to seek accountability in the Fishrot case.
Cooperation
“Reports that prosecutor-general Martha Imalwa and deputy director-general of the anti-corruption commission, Erna van der Merwe, are also in Iceland meeting with Icelandic investigators and prosecutors augur well for possible cooperation in this transnational criminal investigation,” they said.
“This mutual cooperation is in line with Namibia’s and Iceland’s commitments under the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which both countries have signed and ratified. We note that as of 7 June 2022, Namibia has not yet formally delivered its request for the extradition of three Icelandic suspects wanted in Namibia in relation to Fishrot.”
Further, the two organisations urged Yvonne Dausab, Namibia’s minister of justice, “to make her decision known regarding extradition as soon as possible, in the interest of justice and due process of law, having special regard to Article 44 of UNCAC (which deals with extradition matters).”
Citizens of both countries have expressed, through public protests, news investigations and civil society efforts, that it cannot be right that only Namibian citizens are held legally accountable for Fishrot, when the corruption scandal clearly involved individuals in Iceland as well.
“We are also encouraged by the simultaneous visit of a delegation led by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s minister of international relations, to Iceland this week,” the two organisations said.
TI-IS and the IPPR hope Nandi-Ndaitwah’s visit to Iceland can be used as an opportunity for the two governments to boost cooperation on tackling corruption in both countries and, in particular, the need to seek accountability in the Fishrot case.
Cooperation
“Reports that prosecutor-general Martha Imalwa and deputy director-general of the anti-corruption commission, Erna van der Merwe, are also in Iceland meeting with Icelandic investigators and prosecutors augur well for possible cooperation in this transnational criminal investigation,” they said.
“This mutual cooperation is in line with Namibia’s and Iceland’s commitments under the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which both countries have signed and ratified. We note that as of 7 June 2022, Namibia has not yet formally delivered its request for the extradition of three Icelandic suspects wanted in Namibia in relation to Fishrot.”
Further, the two organisations urged Yvonne Dausab, Namibia’s minister of justice, “to make her decision known regarding extradition as soon as possible, in the interest of justice and due process of law, having special regard to Article 44 of UNCAC (which deals with extradition matters).”
Citizens of both countries have expressed, through public protests, news investigations and civil society efforts, that it cannot be right that only Namibian citizens are held legally accountable for Fishrot, when the corruption scandal clearly involved individuals in Iceland as well.
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