The Fishrot fraud, corruption and racketeering trial should proceed while attempts to appeal against rulings given in the case continue, one of the lawyers involved in the matter argued in the High Court at Windhoek Correctional Facility yesterday. “Criminal trials must proceed to finality,” defence lawyer Ileni Gebhardt, who is representing the first accused in the Fishrot case, Ricardo Gustavo, said while addressing acting judge Marilize du Plessis in support of a request by Gustavo for his delayed trial to get going. Gebhardt argued that two applications for leave to appeal against rulings given by Du Plessis in the case should not automatically halt the trial of the 10 men arraigned on charges about the alleged fraudulent and corrupt acquisition and use of Namibian fish quotas valued at more than N$150 million. “This court is not merely entitled to continue with the trial; it is obliged to do so,” Gebhardt said during her address to the court. Defence lawyers Florian Beukes, ...