THE Anti-Corruption Commission has summoned Namibia Airports Company chief executive Bisey Uirab for questioning amid mounting scrutiny over procurement and governance irregularities
Uirab appeared before the ACC last Monday, following a request from the commission for information relating to matters under investigation at the NAC.
ACC director general Paulus Noa has confirmed the meeting, but has declined to disclose more detail, saying the information is confidential.
“The ACC can summon anyone within its mandate to provide information related to any investigation. Such information cannot be shared and remains confidential,” he said last week.
Uirab could not be reached for comment.
The ACC has not disclosed whether its engagement with Uirab would lead to further action.
A source close to the matter says the ACC’s request is linked to issues raised following an investigation requested by minister of works and transport Veikko Nekundi in late July.
The investigation reportedly covered concerns around vehicles allocated or sold to management, procurement processes and human resource matters.
Nekundi had indicated he would refer suspected irregularities to the ACC after the investigation.
The latest development comes as the NAC faces questions over a blanket suspension of procurement activities announced on 21 September.
The company at the time said all new and active procurement activities had been suspended with immediate effect until further notice.
Former NAC board member Matthew //Gowaseb yesterday questioned the degree of the suspension, warning it could affect airport operations if safety-critical procurement is delayed.
He said airport operations require continuous access to equipment and services, including airfield lighting, maintenance tools, firefighting equipment, security systems and specialised technical services.
Among the procurement processes he identified are airfield-light spares for Eros Airport, maintenance tools for Keetmanshoop Airport, runway repainting at Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Airport, and aviation fuel and aircraft-refuelling services at Walvis Bay, Lüderitz and Katima Mulilo airports.
“If such processes had not resulted in formally concluded contracts, the wording of the NAC’s own notice means they are potentially affected by the suspension,” //Gowaseb said.
He asked whether a safety and operational risk assessment had been conducted before the blanket suspension was imposed.
//Gowaseb said procurement concerns could instead be dealt with through individual reviews, enhanced controls, or investigations without freezing the entire procurement system.
“There may well be legitimate reasons to review procurement systems and strengthen governance. But governance reform and aviation safety are not mutually exclusive,” he said.
He called for safety-critical, security, emergency, maintenance and essential operational procurement to be protected while any governance review continues.
