A business owner testified in court that political influence led to his firm being excluded from a renewable energy deal with Namibia Power Corporation, the state electricity provider. Pangwa Gabriel claimed connections to government officials and a high-ranking utility executive helped rival bidders secure contracts under a 2015 solar initiative while his company, Erongo Diagram Investments, lost out despite what he calls a legitimate agreement.
Gabriel appeared before Judge Thomas Masuku to support his firm's lawsuit seeking recognition of what EDI describes as a valid contract signed during November 2015. The proposal involved building a five-megawatt facility near Gobabis to feed power into the national grid over 25 years. EDI wants compensation totaling 54.4 million Namibian dollars for alleged losses. Defense experts counter that the venture would have generated negative returns of 6.2 million dollars.
NamPower maintains that 14 competing developers submitted documentation through an online system during July 2015, months ahead of EDI's November filing. Executive Kandali Iyambo argues the preliminary correspondence amounted to a price estimate rather than a binding commitment. Gabriel contends employees failed to notify potential partners when the digital application platform opened. Proceedings adjourned on Friday with no scheduled resumption date yet set.
Gabriel appeared before Judge Thomas Masuku to support his firm's lawsuit seeking recognition of what EDI describes as a valid contract signed during November 2015. The proposal involved building a five-megawatt facility near Gobabis to feed power into the national grid over 25 years. EDI wants compensation totaling 54.4 million Namibian dollars for alleged losses. Defense experts counter that the venture would have generated negative returns of 6.2 million dollars.
NamPower maintains that 14 competing developers submitted documentation through an online system during July 2015, months ahead of EDI's November filing. Executive Kandali Iyambo argues the preliminary correspondence amounted to a price estimate rather than a binding commitment. Gabriel contends employees failed to notify potential partners when the digital application platform opened. Proceedings adjourned on Friday with no scheduled resumption date yet set.
