Icelandic seafood company Samherji reported its chief executive Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson will step aside amid a pending internal investigation into “alleged wrong doing” connected with its subsidiaries in Namibia.

Björgólfur Jóhannsson will take over the CEO duties “for the time being”, Samherji said in a statement. Jóhannsson has been the CEO and president of Icelandair Group, chairman of Fisheries Iceland, chair of The Icelandic Employers Association, and CEO of the seafood company Icelandic Group. 

“The internal investigation, which is assisted by the Norwegian and international law firm Wikborg Rein, will continue at full force, reporting directly to the board of directors,” the statement read.

Samherji is engaged in fishing and the processing of seafood and counts Ice Fresh Seafood as its main brand.

According to seafood industry publisher Undercurrent News, Baldvinsson said this week that Samherji could have been “entangled” in illegal activities in Namibia. The publication added that the company’s former manager in Namibia, Johannes Stefansson, has revealed what might amount to illegal activities.

“WikiLeaks is publishing over 30,000 documents from Johannes Stefansson – the whistleblower – it claims show the company spent ‘millions of dollars’ to pay off officials in the country for fishing access,” Undercurrent News said.

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Meanwhile, Samherji’s board chairman Eirikur S. Jóhannsson added in the statement: “We take this serious step to ensure and demonstrate the complete integrity of the ongoing investigation. At Samherji we are committed to fair and honest business, and we will always strive to act in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.”

Samherji said it “has not been approached by any authorities so far, but it will of course co-operate with any relevant authorities that may take interest in Samherji’s activities in Iceland, in Namibia or elsewhere”.

Interim CEO Jóhannsson also added a comment: “Samherji plays an important role in the fishing industry worldwide and we have a responsibility towards our people and customers. I am deeply saddened by the circumstances, but I will do my best to safeguard the interest of Samherji and its employees.”

The company said it would not comment on “specific allegations” until it has completed the internal investigation.