The Namibia Revenue Agency (Namra) has suspended one of its human resources (HR) officers after allegations of corruption and irregularities have emerged regarding the recruitment process of customs and excise officers.
The recruitment process for 144 positions came to light when an anonymous source sent a detailed letter to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), seen by The Namibian, outlining a series of allegations.
The source claimed that the recruitment process was tainted by misconduct, bias and favouritism.
It was alleged that some candidates attending the training for customs and excise officers did not participate in the required online test, while others allegedly gained entry through bribes to HR officers.
Allegations of manipulating the selection process to favour candidates from the Zambezi region and discriminate against Oshiwambo-speaking candidates also surfaced.
The source raised concerns about Namra’s capacity to independently and impartially investigate these allegations and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
Namra spokesperson Steven Ndorokaze confirmed the suspension following allegations of misconduct and to facilitate an investigation and secure potential evidence.
“Consequently, the case regarding these allegations has been referred to the ACC for investigation. Additionally, our internal affairs department is investigating matters involving our staff,” said Ndorokaze.
He said allegations suggesting that individuals who did not complete the online test were added to the list are baseless and unfounded.
According to Ndorokaze, all the appointed candidates met the recruitment criteria and successfully completed the online test.
“If there are specific concerns about individuals being added without due process, we encourage the complainant to provide this information to the ACC to aid in a thorough investigation. The appointed staff have undergone three weeks of basic customs and excise training and have been assigned to various duty stations,” he said.
ACC spokesperson Josefina Nghituwamata confirmed that a complaint regarding recruitment irregularities at Namra was reported anonymously.
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