THE Indira Gandhi Health Centre Fund has opened a criminal case against former special assistant to Founding President Sam Nujoma, John Nauta and businessman Tjeripo Hijarunguru.
The criminal case is the latest in a dispute over a share transaction where the fund’s stake in a multimillion-dollar empowerment firm, Epia Investment, was transferred to a company belonging to Nauta, Hijarunguru and the estate of late Aaron Mushimba.
The fund believes it lost N$100 million as a result of the share transfer when Epia relinquished its 49% in the Olthaver and List Group of companies for about N$450 million.
The fund is now blaming Nauta and Hijarunguru for the loss, questioning the authenticity of the share transfer which was done in 2012.
The Issue has learnt that CR 256/06/2025 was opened in this regard by the Indira Gandhi Fund’s chairperson, Ndeutala Angolo, in Windhoek. The case pertains to allegations of fraud, forgery and uttering.
Police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi confirmed that the case is being investigated by the police Commercial Crimes Investigations Division.
Both Hijarunguru and Nauta have repeatedly maintained their innocence and denied any wrongdoing.
Hijarunguru accused Angolo of being blinded by greed. “She is the one who authorised Dr Kalumbi Shangula to sell the shares for N$20.00 in 2012,” he said.
“Our client categorically denies all allegations of fraud, forgery, and uttering. These allegations are entirely false, baseless, and defamatory. Mr Nauta has at all times acted with integrity and in accordance with the law,” said Nauta’s lawyer, Charles Visser.
The lawyer added that documents and records available, including the relevant minutes and correspondence, confirm the legitimacy of the share transfer process and his client’s non-involvement in any wrongdoing.
“The continued repetition and publication of these unfounded allegations have already caused significant and irreparable harm to our client’s reputation and standing,” he said, while demanding that The Issue refrain from publishing any statement or article containing these or similar allegations against Nauta. “Should you proceed to publish such material without providing our client with a fair opportunity to respond to the full particulars and in the absence of any credible evidence, we will regard this as a deliberate act of defamation and a violation of our client’s rights,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Visser presented The Issue with more legal threats. He wrote a letter saying that the publication of the dispute suggested that Nauta benefited from the alleged fraudulent share transfer and that the said transfer was done without the knowledge and approval of the Indira Gandhi trustees.
“The allegations published are false, malicious, and have caused significant harm to our client’s reputation and standing,” read Visser’s 26 June letter to The Issue.
As a result, Visser gave The Issue 72 hours to retract the article, acknowledge that the said article was false, publish an unreserved public apology to Nauta and for The Issue to stop any further publication about the matter.
