To regulate future relationships, agreements were signed between Esja Fishing represented by Adalsteinn Helgasson and Tamson Hatuikulipi and others for them to work together for potential quotas of horse mackerel and possible others in the future.The agreement was that Samherji would bring in the vessels and experience while Tamson and the other key players would organise the quotas. Stefansson’s job was to advise Helgasson and assist to prepare the MoU.
Namgomar Pesca Deal
This deal was sometimes referred to as Project Angola or Opportunity Angola whose signing was important in the issuance of a horse mackerel fishing quota.
“Shanghala and myself went alone to Angola to meet the minister Barros Neto. The meeting was also attended by Antonio Santos Francisco.
• In November 2013, Shanghala, James, Tamson from Namibia and Joao de Barros and Antonio Santos Francisco went to Iceland to meet Samherji CEO Thorsteinn Mar Baldvinsson. The agenda of the meeting was to discuss the Namibia-Angola deal.
• After the meeting, a document titled Business Enterprise Cooperation between Namibia and Angola in the Fishing Sector was compiled. It was signed by Santos Antonio of FADEPA. Although Stefansson says he was not sure if Shanghala signed, he states that there was a space left for him to sign.
• The document was addressed to the two fisheries and it indicated that a company called Namgomar Pesca SA had been formed in Angola and the ministers can offer access to the marine resources.
• Stefansson says although he did not attend some of the meetings, James and Gustavo sent him documents and he, in turn, informed Samherji of the progress regarding the Angolan deal.
• The deal between Esja and Namgomar Pesca (SA) Angola was also signed on the same when the Namgomar Pesca agreement was completed. This was signed in Cyprus by Ingvar Juliusson for Esja and Gustavo for Namgomar.
• On 1 January 2014, Stefansson as the MD of Katla Seafood signed an agreement with Erongo Clearing and Forwarding CC for services and deliverables. “This dummy agreement was made to cover the payments/ bribes to him and others (including minister Esau as I understood) through Erongo Cleating & Forwarding as they were working to get quotas for Samherji in which they would benefit.” When payments were made, they were shown as for consultancy work yet there was no consultancy work that was done for Katla Fishing by Erongo Clearing & Forwarding.
• Between 15 and 22 January 2014, Stefansson, Shanghala, James, Tamson, Gustavo, and two others went to Angola to meet the fisheries minister and Shanghala made a presentation on behalf of Namgomar Pesca and he also spoke on behalf of Namgomar.
• On 18 June 2014, the MoU cooperation agreement (Biliteral Fishing Agreement) between Namibia and Angola was signed.
• On 1 July 2014, a quota of 7 000mt was awarded to Namgomar Pesca Pty Ltd.
• The catching agreement between Namgomar and Esja stipulated that a horse mackerel quota usage fee would be N$500 instead of the N$3000 per ton. “This price is way below the normal usage fee of N$3000 that was generally paid in agreements of this nature. I suspect that this was done to in order to evade paying taxes to the Namibian government by the company as well as by the real beneficiaries of this deal.
