City accused of dicing with law

DILLY-DALLYING by the City of Windhoek over reinstating deputy traffic chief Eliphas !Owos-Oab may yet land in the High Court.

!Owos-Oab was suspended with full pay 14 months ago but an independent investigation cleared him and recommended that he be reinstated. As a result, the deputy traffic chief was reappointed over two weeks ago, but has received no work.All indications are that he is not welcome in the offices of the City of Windhoek.Meanwhile, rumours are rife in the corridors of City Hall that former Namibian Police Chief Inspector Oscar Sheehama has already been appointed in !Owos-Oab’s position.Allegations are also swirling that the correct recruitment procedures have not been followed in a number of new appointments.Now !Owos-Oab’s lawyers are considering taking his case to the High Court.In a letter to the City of Windhoek’s management last week, lawyer Richard Metcalfe said the municipality was contradicting an instruction, and that justice delayed was justice denied.”Our client obtained a fair decision from an impartial board of inquiry after being suspended for 14 months,” Metcalfe wrote in a letter to Chief Executive Officer Niilo Taapopi.”Your novel and desperate attempt to flout the law to further harass and punish our client where you simply have no such powers amounts to an absolute and shocking abuse of your position,” the letter continued.!Owos-Oab reported for duty on May 16 but since then has received no work.When !Owos-Oab took up the matter with City Police Chief Abraham Kanime, he was allegedly told that Kanime was still awaiting instructions from Taapopi.”When Mr !Owos-Oab reported this to you (Taapopi), you lamely informed him that you were disappointed to hear this.As at the moment of writing this letter, our client is still left doing nothing in his office,” the lawyers wrote.In the meantime, Kanime has reportedly informed all superintendents to report directly to him and not to !Owos-Oab, notwithstanding the fact that his suspension was lifted.Metcalfe said they had information that former Namibian Police Chief Inspector Oscar Sheehama had already been appointed in !Owos-Oab’s position.”It would be appreciated if you would inform us whether this is correct.If it is, correct kindly provide our offices with all advertisements placed in respect of our client’s position in the news media,” the lawyers said.Metcalfe also claimed that they had information that Kanime had allegedly appointed several people without following the correct recruitment procedures.”This is simply corruption in its purest form.Please advise whether you have condoned such appointments,” the lawyer charged.He said the City of Windhoek’s actions were illegal and demanded !Owos-Oab’s unconditional reinstatement.”Mr !Owos-Oab has been unjustly accused and punished for over 14 months now.His innocence has been proved and further illegal personal vendettas against our client will definitely not be tolerated,” the lawyers said.!Owos-Oab faced five charges, among them one of allegedly fondling a woman in June 2005 and promising her a job by telling her: “If you look after me, I will look after you”.There was an apparent rivalry between him and Kanime.Kanime has claimed that !Owos-Oab was disobeying his orders and wilfully failed to carry out instructions issued by him.!Owos-Oab denied all the charges amid claims that it was a witch-hunt and that his job had been reserved for someone else.The independent panel said all the charges either lacked substance or there was no evidence and instructed Taapopi to reinstate !Owos-Oab with immediate effect.As a result, the deputy traffic chief was reappointed over two weeks ago, but has received no work.All indications are that he is not welcome in the offices of the City of Windhoek.Meanwhile, rumours are rife in the corridors of City Hall that former Namibian Police Chief Inspector Oscar Sheehama has already been appointed in !Owos-Oab’s position.Allegations are also swirling that the correct recruitment procedures have not been followed in a number of new appointments.Now !Owos-Oab’s lawyers are considering taking his case to the High Court.In a letter to the City of Windhoek’s management last week, lawyer Richard Metcalfe said the municipality was contradicting an instruction, and that justice delayed was justice denied.”Our client obtained a fair decision from an impartial board of inquiry after being suspended for 14 months,” Metcalfe wrote in a letter to Chief Executive Officer Niilo Taapopi. “Your novel and desperate attempt to flout the law to further harass and punish our client where you simply have no such powers amounts to an absolute and shocking abuse of your position,” the letter continued.!Owos-Oab reported for duty on May 16 but since then has received no work.When !Owos-Oab took up the matter with City Police Chief Abraham Kanime, he was allegedly told that Kanime was still awaiting instructions from Taapopi.”When Mr !Owos-Oab reported this to you (Taapopi), you lamely informed him that you were disappointed to hear this.As at the moment of writing this letter, our client is still left doing nothing in his office,” the lawyers wrote.In the meantime, Kanime has reportedly informed all superintendents to report directly to him and not to !Owos-Oab, notwithstanding the fact that his suspension was lifted.Metcalfe said they had information that former Namibian Police Chief Inspector Oscar Sheehama had already been appointed in !Owos-Oab’s position.”It would be appreciated if you would inform us whether this is correct.If it is, correct kindly provide our offices with all advertisements placed in respect of our client’s position in the news media,” the lawyers said.Metcalfe also claimed that they had information that Kanime had allegedly appointed several people without following the correct recruitment procedures.”This is simply corruption in its purest form.Please advise whether you have condoned such appointments,” the lawyer charged.He said the City of Windhoek’s actions were illegal and demanded !Owos-Oab’s unconditional reinstatement.”Mr !Owos-Oab has been unjustly accused and punished for over 14 months now.His innocence has been proved and further illegal personal vendettas against our client will definitely not be tolerated,” the lawyers said.!Owos-Oab faced five charges, among them one of allegedly fondling a woman in June 2005 and promising her a job by telling her: “If you look after me, I will look after you”.There was an apparent rivalry between him and Kanime.Kanime has claimed that !Owos-Oab was disobeying his orders and wilfully failed to carry out instructions issued by him.!Owos-Oab denied all the charges amid claims that it was a witch-hunt and that his job had been reserved for someone else.The independent panel said all the charges either lacked substance or there was no evidence and instructed Taapopi to reinstate !Owos-Oab with immediate effect.