Africa-Press – Namibia. The International University of Management (IUM) governing council has suspended its deputy chairperson, businessman Peter Elindi, following his arrest in the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) scandal last week.
The suspension was confirmed by IUM spokesperson Eveline Indongo.
Contacted for comment, Elindi’s lawyer, Sisa Namandje, said: “While that may be a prudent step by the institution concerned in view of my client’s temporary circumstances, soon we will demonstrate that the charges against our client are completely without substance. The charges will soon fall flat. Our client’s innocence is certain.”
Elindi was arrested in connection with the Namcor corruption scandal involving around N$327 million.
“On 10 July 2025, the IUM governing council suspended Mr Peter Elindi from his position as deputy chairperson and member of the council with immediate effect. The suspension will hold until he has been cleared of all charges,” Indongo said last week.
The decision to suspend Elindi was made through a round-robin resolution, she said.
Indongo said Elindi has not communicated with the university leadership since his arrest.
She said there is no room for Elindi to continue the service of council member.
“The IUM expects the integrity of each council member to be above board at all times, whether in their personal or official capacity, and nothing less,” she said.
Elindi, a former Namibian Defence Force (NDF) soldier, is the village headman of Etope in the Omutele constituency in the Oshikoto region.
Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, Ondonga Traditional Authority secretary Frans Enkali said no formal communication has been received about Elindi’s legal troubles.
“It is very difficult and unprofessional to talk about him, because if he is arrested, it’s something that is with the court. We never engaged in any discussion on that. What if you suspend the person and he is not found guilty?” he asked.
Enkali said Elindi was not arrested by the traditional authority and, therefore, no action has been taken against him.
“Nothing is known about it, and as a matter of procedure, we were supposed to be informed as the leadership that this has happened. It’s very difficult for me to comment on that,” he said.
Elindi is one of the nine people arrested and charged in connection with N$327 million lost at Namcor.
Elindi and his brother, Malakia, face charges of corruptly giving gratification, conspiring to commit offences under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, fraud, and money laundering.
Elindi is a businessman primarily known for co-founding Enercon Namibia, a company supplying the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs and Namibia Wildlife Resorts with fuel, and for his involvement in a controversial oil deal investigation.
He was the managing director of Enercon until early 2023 and the director of the company, along with Malakia, and of August 26 Holdings, the NDF’s business wing.
Other people who were arrested alongside the Elindis are Peter’s wife, Lydia, former Namcor managing director Imms Mulunga, Jennifer Hamukwaya and her husband, Panduleni, Cedric Willemse, Olivia Dunaski, and Leo Stefanus.
In a media statement on Friday, the ACC says several companies are linked to the accused.
The entities are Enercon, Erongo Petroleum, Onyeka Clearing and Forwarding, Nyambali Medical Centre, Panduleni Farming, and Parkwood Petroleum Logistics.
The ACC alleges that its investigations have unearthed that between August 2022 and May 2023, Enercon and Erongo Petroleum allegedly acquired petroleum products worth N$274.4 million from Namcor, and subsidiary Namcor Trading and Distribution beyond their credit limit.
It is further alleged that during July 2022, Namcor unlawfully and without board approval attempted to acquire Enercon Namibia’s service station assets located at nine NDF bases on behalf of Namcor Trading, the ACC says.
“These assets, valued at N$53.2 million, were seemingly encumbered under a 15-year agreement between Enercon Namibia and the Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, signed on 15 September 2016.”
The ACC says despite lacking board approval and being legally barred from acquiring the assets, Namcor Trading and Distribution allegedly went ahead and paid N$53.2 million in July 2022.
This payment is now considered a direct financial loss to the company as the transfer of assets never materialised.
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