Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa freezes Chinese businessman’s account

Acting prosecutor general Martha Imalwa has applied to freeze N$3,2 million held in the bank account of Yan Qiang, a Chinese businessman. Imalwa alleges the funds are proceeds of unlawful activities linked to illegal abalone trading, money laundering and immigration fraud.

The preservation order application, brought under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, targets funds accumulated between 1 January 2025 and 15 May this year.

According to court documents, the investigation stems from an operation on 13 May this year when officials from the Namibian Revenue Agency (Namra) discovered 512 frozen abalone in a deep freezer at Olide Supermarket in Windhoek’s Chinatown.

Imalwa says the abalone weighed 14.10 kilograms and had an estimated value of N$65 000. The seafood was confiscated after Yan allegedly failed to produce the permits or documentation required for its possession.

“When questioned about the abalone, Mr Yan initially stated that it originated from China but was unable to produce any import permit or supporting documentation,” Imalwa says in her affidavit.