Namibian lawyer Marén de Klerk, who is implicated in the Fishrot scandal, will appear in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court in South Africa on Friday for an extradition inquiry.
He was arrested on Thursday by South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) and the South African Police Services (SAPS).
On Thursday, Namibian Police Force (NamPol) spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, informed Nampa that De Klerk is wanted by the Namibian government on charges of corruption, fraud, theft, and money laundering. He stands accused of using his trust account to distribute unlawfully obtained funds to various accounts in the Fishrot corruption case involving Namibia’s former fisheries minister, Bernhardt Esau.
“De Klerk was arrested today (Thursday) in Paarl, Western Cape. The arrest was carried out by SAPS and the Hawks, also known as the Priority Crime Investigation. He is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow in Paarl for the extradition inquiry,” she said.
In 2022, the Paarl Magistrate’s Court issued an arrest warrant for De Klerk, which was followed by the publication of a red notice by Interpol, the international police organisation.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency