Denver Kisting
2 December 2011
THE Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, Jerry Ekandjo, is considering taking action against the Khorixas town council after its refusal to discipline officials and councillors implicated in corruption.
Ekandjo gave the town council until Tuesday to respond to a letter in which he instructed them to conduct a probe and act against the implicated staff members.
The Namibian was reliably informed yesterday that the council has replied to Ekandjo’s letter and said that it would not take action as the accused, in terms of the Constitution, “are innocent until proven guilty”.
Ekandjo insisted that a “proper investigation” into the allegations of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) needs to be done internally. Should the charges be found to have merit, disciplinary action against the relevant people needs to be instituted, he wrote.
Ekandjo and his Permanent Secretary, Erastus Negonga, some two weeks ago denied that they have interfered with council matters.
Last Monday, Ekandjo, when asked about the letter said: “It’s not a local government issue and I don’t comment on issues if it’s sub-judice.”
Following the town council’s reply, the ministry is considering what further steps to take, it has been established.
It is believed that the implicated council members are blocking an internal probe.
Three council members – its chief executive officer, Nicodemus Gaeseb, its human corporate affairs and human resources officer, Eben Xoagub, and the housing and property officer, Daniel Geiseb, are facing corruption charges involving around N$400 000.
The trio and Xoagub’s wife, Berlinda Xoagus, a Swapo councillor, her brother, Jeremias Kheimseb, Isaskar Ganeb, Elrey Esau, also a ruling party councillor, and Reverend Barry Goamub were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in October after allegedly concocting a fictitious tender.
It is alleged that this was done to cover up a cash shortage at the local post office where Xoagus was the postmaster.
The three council employees returned to their offices after being released on bail.
This has reportedly irked fellow employees as well as Khorixas residents.
Ganeb owns Sipho Roads Construction and Security Services, while Esau is the owner of Khori Enterprise and the pastor owns Goamub Quick Security Services.
The Anti-Corruption Commission claims that during April 2011 a fictitious construction tender for the supply of bricks to the Khorixas Town Council was issued.
Following the ACC probe, the docket was forwarded to the Prosecutor General (PG), who decided that Xoagub should face five charges of corruption, five of fraud and two of money laundering, Gaeseb and Geiseb two charges of corruption each, Kheimseb four counts of fraud, Ganeb one count of fraud and Xoagus two of money laundering and three of fraud.
The PG decided that Esau and Goamub must be charged with one charge of corruption each.
The accused were arrested in Khorixas between October 4 and 5.
Their trial will take place in the Khorixas Regional Court in July 2012.
Esau and Reverend Goamub were granted bail of N$30 000, while their six co-accused were granted bail of N$70 000 each.
AllAfrica – All the Time
Taken from:
Namibia: Khorixas Council Defies Ekandjo