• By Jeremiah Ndjoze 

Former senior special assistant to Namibia's late Founding President Sam Nujoma and nominee director of the Sam Nujoma Foundation, John Nauta, is threatening to institute legal action against former State House executive director, Dr. Ndeutala Angolo and three local media houses. 

The brewing legal battle stems from allegations in articles that were published in two local media outlets, in which Nauta was purportedly painted as having been instrumental in a fraudulent transfer of shares belonging to the Indira Gandhi Health Centre Fund in Epia Investment Holdings to Tuapandula Investment, to the fiscal detriment of the fund. The allegations are said to have been drawn from remarks that were made by Angolo to the media. Nauta told Confidente that claims alleging that he had a hand in returning the fund’s shares to the holding entity are misplaced and devoid of any truth. 

Nauta confirmed that he is waiting for his lawyers to institute the litigation process against the parties involved. “The litigation is bound to start soon. I gave them time to retract and apologise but they failed. [The radio station] removed all the sound bites on the matter and apologised to me. But they are yet to do it publicly,” Nauta said. 
He maintained that such decisions are made at board level and there is no way that he as an individual would influenced the decision.

“This is a bunch of businessman who took a conscious decision, collectively, to sign off the fund’s shares and cannot blame me for that,” Nauta said. 

“They are now questioning why the shares were passed to Tuapandula (Nauta’s entity), forgetting that the holding company belonged to Aaron Mushimba and it was his prerogative to give the shares, free of charge, to whoever he wanted,”  he added. 
Tuapandula Investments (PTY) Ltd had 40 percent stake, having acquired the fund’s interest. Tuapandula belongs to Nauta, businessman, Tjeripo Hijarunguru and the estate of the late Mushimba.    

SHARE SALE
Confidente is in possession of a copy of minutes of the Indira Gandhi Health Centre Fund members meeting said to have been held on 16 November 2012, on a Round Robin Basis and duly constituted. The meeting noted that: “The Company (Indira Gandhi Health Centre Fund) was granted shares in Epia Investment Holdings for the purpose of supporting the Indira Gnadhi Health Centre. Since the said health centre was transferred to government, the objective of supporting the health centre was ceased.”

The meeting according to the document resolved that: “20 ordinary shares held in Epia Investment Holdings (PTY) Ltd, representing 20 percent of the issued share capital are transferred to Tuapandula Investments (PTY) Ltd at par value of N$20-00."
The minutes were signed by Angolo, former minister Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, late Dr. Naftal Hamata, businessman John Kambwela, and coastal fishing magnate Jose Luis Bastos who were listed as trustees. 

Confidente has further seen a copy of the share transfer form said to have been signed by Shangula on behalf of the fund.
This newspaper is also in possession of a copy of a resolution signed by the Epia Investments Holdings Board of Directors, suggesting that the shareholder  in Epia, as on 16 November 2012, were Tuahala Investments CC, Tuakondjeni Investment CC, Tuavaza Investment CC, all of which had 20 percent shares each, while earlier this year Angolo, in her capacity as the fund chairperson, opened a criminal case against Nauta and Hijarunguru. 

The case, Cr 265/06/2025 is citing allegation of fraud, forgery and uttering. On 22 June 2025, according to documents Hijarunguru wrote to Warrant Officer E. Aribes of the NamPol Commercial Crime Investigation Division furnishing “self-explanatory documents” in response to the police’s “request for information on the sales of 20 percent Epia Investments Holding by Indira Gnadhi Health Trust Fund to Tuapandula Investments Holding in 2012.”

THE THREATS
Nauta’s lawyers wrote to Angolo suggesting that during June 2025, she made statements to the media, to the effect that Nauta, together with others, orchestrated a fraudulent transfer of the fund’s shares in Epia Investments to Tuapandula in 2012, thereby depriving the fund of a substantial financial benefit. “This resulted in articles being published on 7 and 9 June 2025 and further resulted in the statement being broadcast on the radio,” the lawyers wrote. 

The articles ostensibly suggested that Nauta personally benefitted from this alleged fraudulent transaction, and that the transfer was effected without the knowledge of the fund’s trustees, a claim which Nauta vehemently denies.  Through the law firm, ENS Namibia, Nauta maintained that the allegations are false, malicious and has caused significant harm to his reputation and standing.

The lawyers’ letter confirms that it that the transfer of the fund’s 20 percent shares from Epia to Tuapandula was duly authorised by a round robin resolution of the fund’s trustees on 16 November 2012. 

“The minutes of this meeting, signed by the relevant trustees, confirm that the transfer was effected because the fund’s original objective - supporting the Indira Gandhi Health Centre - has ceased following the transfer of the clinic to the government of Namibia,” the lawyers wrote, adding that the director of Epia, “likewise, approved the transfer at a duly constituted Board meeting the same day.”

The lawyers have it that there is no evidence whatsoever of fraud or impropriety on Nauta’s part and stressed that the transfer was conducted transparently, with the knowledge and approval of all relevant parties, and in accordance with the legal and governance requirements of the entities involved.   

“Our client was not a trustee of the fund and could not have unilaterally orchestrated the transfer. He was, at the material time, a director of Epia, and his involvement was limited to the approval of the transfer at board level, as was his duty,” the lawyers added.
The lawyers are accusing the media houses of having repeated and amplified unsubstantiated allegations made by Angolo without verification or regard for documentary evidence. According to them, Angolo’s allegations have been made recklessly and with a disregard for the truth, resulting in severe reputational damage for Nauta. 

The litigants are demanding full retractions of the alleged defamatory allegations, and for the media houses to publish, with equal prominence to the original article, public apologies ‘acknowledging the falsity’ of the allegations and the harm caused. This, in addition to desisting from repeating similar statements, regarding Nauta. 

Additionally, Angolo is implored to issue a public apology, in writing, to all the outlets through which the allegations were published.  

“Should you fail to comply with this within 72 hours of receipt of this letter, our client reserves the right to pursue legal action against you for defamation and any other damages suffered as a result of your conduct,” the lawyers wrote. 
In response Angolo said: "Thank you for the interest in the matter. However, it has come to my attention that there is a lawsuit coming. Therefore, I can not comment on that."

THE REPORTS  
On 7 June 2025, The Issue reported that the Indira Gandhi Health Centre Fund, a charity established by late Founding President Sam Nujoma, lost N$100 million stake in a black empowerment firm following the alleged transfer of its shares from Epia without the trustees’ permission.

When the O&L Group parted ways with Epia in 2023, the black economic empowerment outfit, reportedly received a settlement of about N$450 million. The Indira Gandhi Health Centre Fund, at the time, expected to receive its 20 percent stake in Epia to fetch N$100 million. 

To their dismay, the trustees were reportedly informed that the fund no longer had a stake in Epia. 
Tuapandula directors, reportedly, have it that the trustees of the Indira Gandhi Health Centre Fund signed their shares over.