Press Secretary in the Presidency, Alfredo Hengari said there is no truth in the allegations that President Hage Geingob may have assisted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in apprehending a suspect connected to the Phala Phala farm burglary.
Last week, media reported that President Ramaphosa’s farm was robbed in 2020 by robbers believed to be Namibian nationals.
In a media statement, the Presidency said the revelations made in the affidavit of former South African spy chief Arthur Fraser, are being taken out of context and “outrageous”.
The Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters on Friday asked the Ombudsman to launch an investigation into Geingob for his alleged role in the circumstances of the theft of N.dollars 60 million from Ramaphosa’s farm.
“The details regarding the arrest of the suspect in Namibia on 14 June 2020 are matters of public record. The arrest was executed by members of the Namibian Police Force upon reasonable suspicion that the suspect in question had committed some immigration related offences in Namibia,” Hengari said.
He said the suspect was, in accordance with the law, subsequently convicted by a criminal court in Namibia and paid a fine.
Following the suspect paying the fine imposed, the press secretary said he left Namibia in November 2020 to his home country, South Africa.
“Persons suspected to have committed offences in foreign countries who may be located in Namibia are dealt with in terms of the International Cooperation in Criminal Matters Act of 2000 or the Extradition Act of 1996,” he said.
According to Hengari, the “politically motivated” statements by individuals and media in Namibia and South Africa against Geingob have no legal basis.
“The President of Namibia liaises with other Heads of State on official matters within established State-to-State diplomatic protocols,” he added.