Namibian authorities confiscate passports of Zuma’s former lawyers
According to local media, Mike Hellens and Dawie Joubert were about to appear in court to represent two former ministers of fisheries and justice who face charges including corruption, bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion.
JOHANNESBURG - Former lawyers of former President Jacob Zuma, Mike Hellens and Dawie Joubert, on Friday, had their passports confiscated in Namibia for working without permits.
According to local media, they were about to appear in court to represent two former ministers of fisheries and justice who face charges including corruption, bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion.
The accused are known as “the fish rot 6” after they allegedly swindled money from a fisheries project operating between Namibia and Angola.
_ The Namibian_ tweeted a video showing an immigration official taking passports from Hellens and Joubert.
An immigration official is arresting the South African senior counsel Mike Hellens and Dawie Joubert, representing the 'Fishrot 6', for being in Namibia via without work permits. Video: Werner Menges pic.twitter.com/fHOriadMfX
— The Namibian (@TheNamibian) November 29, 2019
The country’s anti-corruption commission said its investigations showed how companies owned by some of the suspects were used to facilitate payments of millions of dollars into other bank accounts of companies linked to the suspects.
It was not clear if the two lawyers would be deported.