ACC clears pathology institute executives of criminal intent

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) says no criminal evidence was found against the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) executives who bought luxury vehicles.

The ACC conducted a probe after a request from Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) general secretary Petrus Nevonga on 28 February this year.

ACC director general Paulus Noa, in a letter addressed to Napwu two weeks ago, said the investigation of the parastatal found no criminal evidence.

“ACC could not find criminal evidence that may justify the submission of the docket to the prosecutor general for criminal prosecution. The minister and the board exercised their oversight and administrative authorities when they approved the vehicle scheme as part of the fringe benefits for the executives,” Noa said.

The Namibian reported in March this year that Nevonga had asked the anti-graft agency to investigate alleged corruption at the NIP, including some of the parastatal’s bank account transactions, and the NIP’s decision to give top officials fuel allowances of N$20 000 per year.

Noa said their investigation focused on verifying information and they obtained statements under oath from finance and public enterprises minister Iipumbu Shiimi, NIP board members and some member of staff.

“The investigation focused on verifying whether the senior management personnel received double car benefits and were provided with a fuel card worth N$20 000 per month, whether the correct procedure was followed in introducing the car scheme, whether any correspondence was addressed to the minister from the board seeking approval of such benefits,” Noa wrote.

The investigation further focused on whether authorisation was obtained from the minister for the said vehicles and the rationale for such authorisation, as well as whether the senior management personnel disregarded procurement processes by purchasing used cars for themselves in violation of the Public Procurement Act 2015 and related regulations, said Noa.

The ACC found that former NIP board chairperson Bryan Eiseb obtained approval from Shiimi, he added.

Eiseb was forced to resign at the end of March this year amid conflict of interest claims surrounding his occupation of both the NIP and Namib Desert Diamonds chairperson posts.

“The findings revealed that the chairperson of the board, Bryan Eiseb, sought approval from Iipumbu Shiimi, which he granted in respect of the salary of the chief executive officer (CEO) and the company vehicles falls outside the scope of section 3 (1) of the Public Procurement Act, as they form part of the executives’ fringe benefits,” Noa said.

The executives who benefitted from the scheme are Kapena Tjombonde (CEO), Oaitse van Staden (chief human capital officer), Nabot Uushona (chief technical officer), Vincent Nowaseb (chief operations officer) and Scholastika Mwetulundila (chief financial officer).

The NIP paid N$1,1 million as a settlement for Tjombonde’s Mercedes Benz, while Uushona received a Ford Ranger, which the parastatal paid N$1 million for, Nowaseb received a Nissan worth N$987 000, Van Staden received a Toyota Fortuner worth N$1,1 million and Mwetulundila received an Amarok worth N$1 million.

Documents show these payments were made on 17 and 28 November 2023.

In December last year, the company’s employees submitted a petition to the NIP board protesting the misuse of funds.
Noa advised Nevonga to directly engage Shiimi.

“As an alternative option to our findings, I advise that you directly engage the minister, in the event you are not satisfied with his decision in this regard. Our case file on the matter is closed,” Noa said.

Nevonga declined to comment on the matter when contacted by The Namibian on Friday. “I cannot discuss this matter with the media, this is our issue as the union to handle,” Nevonga said.

The NIP was established in August 2000 to provide medical laboratory services to health facilities countrywide.

The Namibian could not get comment from the NIP yesterday.