‘Show me the evidence’

…Esau distances himself from Fishrot allegations

…bail application to continue this month

• By Tracy Tafirenyika

FORMER Fisheries and Marine Resource Minister, Bernhardt Esau who is implicated in the Fishrot corruption scandals has distanced himself from allegations he amended the country’s Marine Resource Act to benefit himself saying his name was used without his knowledge.

Esau, testified in the High Court during his bail application that he never allocated any fishing quotas and never changed the Marine Resource Act to benefit himself.

“My name was used without evidence, and if there are any memos that shows I was aware of what was happening, then I want to see the evidence. I am distancing myself from all the allegations that l am being accused of.

I started noticing in the letters, that something serious had happened without my knowledge.

My name was being used to say that l approved certain events without disclosing this internal memo to that effect.

“What I am saying my Lord is that, l want to see the evidence of approvals because it is not credible for me to be accused of approving a conspiracy of accessing fishing quotas for my benefit without showing the evidence.

I am standing here, my Lord representing myself in my own capacity through this honourable court, with all the trust and confidence of this Court in my bail application. I am not part of any syndicate and did not do anything to benefit myself,” he stated. 

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