NAMIBIA’S list of licensed diamond buyers and cutters include the likes of former National Youth Council acting Secretary General Ralph Blaauw, Telecom Namibia CEO Frans JP Ndoroma, Windhoek Mayor Matthew Shikongo, and Dantagob Gurirab links of london Jewellery.

The Namibian on Friday revealed how the Sicilian Mafia via the Palazzolo family appeared to have obtained a foothold in Namibia’s diamond cutting industry by using front companies to buy out an existing but unused diamond buying licence and a cutting and polishing licence links of london silver.

LINKS DENIED Zackey Nujoma, former President Sam Nujoma’s son who acts as director for the two front companies Avila and Marbella Investments (Pty) Ltd, denied any knowledge of an organised crime link.

“It’s an old CIA story,” he said of Vito Palazzolo’s alleged position as the Mafia’s top money launderer Links of London Charms.

A total of eight buying licences and 18 cutting and polishing licences have been granted since the Diamond Act (Act 13 of 1999) was passed, the latter large number apparently prompting the Ministry of Mines and Energy to declare a moratorium on new licence applications at the end of February.

THE ACTIVE AND INACTIVE Diamond Commissioner Kennedy Hamutenya said apart from the buying licences granted to De Beers-Namdeb Links of London Bracelets, in order for them to be able to trade their own production with the London-based Diamond Trading Company (DTC), all the other buying licences have remained inactive.