Fishrot: Clear waters, murky dealings

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Two countries a world apart are linked by a multi-million dollar corruption scandal, and it is all about fish. At one end, the southern African nation of Namibia where leading politicians and businessmen are facing trial on racketeering charges, accused of running an elaborate scheme that squandered valuable fish stocks, meant to help people out of poverty. On the other a powerful fishing company under scrutiny in Iceland, a country long credited with the image of transparency and honest dealing. Just over three decades ago, newly independent Namibia set out to become a model of good governance, to avoid falling into the trap of corruption and nepotism other young nations have fallen into. But 33 years on a major corruption case that has become widely known as Fishrot has cast a shadow over these aspirations, undermined the country’s development plans, put people out of work and caused significant damage to the once all-powerful ruling SWAPO party. Johannes Dell sets out to discover how the fishing industry in Namibia became embroiled in a scandal of epic proportions and how journalists in both Namibia and far-away Iceland worked together to break the story. (Photo: Journalist Helgi Seljan in Namibia. Credit: Helgi Seljan)