Africa-Press – Namibia. The High Court has ordered a company owned by fraud-accused businessman Ernest Adjovi and his Namibian representative Tonata Shiimi to pay back N$23 million to a Namibian tourism state agency for failing to deliver a music awards show.
Adjovi, a close friend of president Hage Geingob, is accused of swindling the Namibian government out of around N$23,5 million by promising to host a music awards in 2016 that never took place.
“Defendants shall repay the amount of N$23 million to the plaintiff [Namibia Tourism Board],” High Court judge Herman Oosthuizen ruled on Thursday.
Adjovi, his company Mundial Telecom SARL and Shiimi are listed as defendants in the case. Oosthuizen also ordered them to pay an annual 20% interest on the N$23 million as from 1 July 2016. The judge said the accused used the money for other activities other than the awards ceremony.
The Namibian reported three years ago that Geingob accused his long-time friend Adjovi of trying to blackmail him into pushing Namibia into hosting and paying for the failed All Africa Kora Music Awards.
Adjovi’s blackmail bid included allegations related to the purchase of a Falcon 900 jet that the government bought for then president Sam Nujoma in the early 1990s, and the building of Geingob’s private residence when he was prime minister.
The blackmail bid is contained in WhatsApp exchanges The Namibian found in an affidavit compiled by Adjovi’s lawyers Erasmus & Associates on 25 March 2019.
The affidavits were delivered to the NTB”s lawyers, Kangueehi & Kavendjii Inc, the law firm representing the government in the case involving the N$23 million lost in the music awards scam.
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