Namcor suspends manager over Walvis bay fuel theft

… linked to theft of more than 69 trucks of fuel

The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) has suspended its terminal manager in relation to the theft of more than 69 trucks containing 2,7 million litres of fuel.

Ellis Egumbo was suspended this week.

Namcor spokesperson Utaara Hoveka confirmed this yesterday.

“It is primarily premised on stock and commercial documentation losses at the National Oil Storage Facilities in Walvis Bay. This is to allow for a fair and independent investigation. I cannot divulge any more information beyond that,” he said.

Engineering manager Gerald Myburg will act as terminal manager.

Egumbo did not respond to questions sent to him yesterday.

The suspension comes up after The Namibian reported in March that the police are investigating a potential large-scale fuel theft after 69 trucks dispatched from Namcor reportedly failed to deliver cargo to customers.

The value of the missing fuel is not confirmed, but sources estimate losses of around N$49 million.

Auditors found trucks were loaded with fuel, but no evidence was found it reached customers.

The Namibian reported earlier this year that four people were arrested between February and March for allegedly stealing fuel worth N$1 million from Namcor.

The suspects are Simeon Shilongo (38), Graham Platt (46), Jason Malima (26) and Denzel Mulunga (21), a nephew of suspended Namcor managing director Immanuel Mulunga.

Malima is related to Victor Malima, former chief executive of Enercon, a military fuel supplier company taken to court by Namcor for struggling to pay back N$60 million it owes to the state-owned national oil company. Namcor now wants to liquidate Enercon.

Both Immanuel Mulunga and Victor Malima denied any wrongdoing.

The alleged syndicate’s timeline is unclear, but information indicates that each truck would carry 40 000 litres of fuel. Namcor sells a litre of fuel at around N$18 to bulk customers. This brings the total to around N$49 million or more.

The company conducted diagnostic tests on the pipelines responsible for transporting fuel from the jetty to the storage tanks in the oil facility to detect any leaks. Ultimately, Namcor decided to enlist the services of a security officer to monitor the movements of the trucks.

“The revelation was truly stunning,” a source says.

Here’s the scheme as narrated by close sources: After picking up fuel from the oil storage, a truck will be driven near the customer’s premises seemingly ready to deliver fuel. However, this truck never actually enters the premises. Instead, while stationed nearby, another truck arrives to transfer the fuel tank from the first truck. With the tracker positioned at the front, the original truck’s cab remains parked near the customer’s premises, creating the illusion of a legitimate delivery, while the fuel is redirected elsewhere. This operation involves collusion among individuals employed by Namcor, truck drivers and insiders at the bulk customer’s facility.

After the auditors’ findings, Namcor dispatched a team to Walvis Bay to strengthen the security system that would enable the national oil storage to move from a paper-based system to an integral system.