Curtain draws on Avid inquiry

THE High Court inquiry into the Social Security Commission’s botched N$30 million investment with Avid Investment Corporation is scheduled to conclude this week.

It remains to be seen whether Avid mastermind Lazarus Kandara will show up tomorrow, as he has promised through his lawyer. If Kandara has returned from South Africa, where he has been for the past month, by tomorrow, he is set to take his place at the witness stand to give evidence in the inquiry.When the inquiry adjourned on Thursday evening last week, Acting Judge Raymond Heathcote said those still scheduled to testify would make way for Kandara tomorrow, if he did indeed arrive.Last week, Kandara’s wife, Christophine Kandara, told the court that she wished her husband would arrive to tell them all the things they were dying to know, and which she didn’t know.The Kandara couple’s lawyer, Lucius Murorua, said on Friday that Lazarus Kandara would be at court tomorrow.He was still waiting for Kandara to inform him of his exact travel schedule from South Africa though, Murorua said.Others still scheduled to testify include the Acting Secretary General of the National Youth Council, Ralph Blaauw, whose wife is a director of Avid but whose name has featured more than hers in evidence so far heard about Avid’s activities, and a one-time director of Avid, retired NDF Brigadier Mathias Shiweda.They were scheduled to testify on Thursday, but Namangol Investments Chief Executive Officer Nico Josea spent the whole day and the early evening in the witness box being questioned by SSC legal counsel Andrew Corbett.Acting Judge Heathcote also told the court on Thursday that the CEO of the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority, Frans van Rensburg, had made an about-turn and had left a message at the judge’s office that he was now prepared to testify.Van Rensburg said if he was unable to come himself, he would send a substitute.Last week a message was relayed to the court that the Namfisa CEO refused to testify, saying that he would only do so if subpoenaed.Acting Judge Heathcote said Van Rensburg had said that his initial refusal was because he was unsure as to what he was expected to testify about.The Acting Judge also added that he was “very serious” that all efforts be made to get the pastor of the Voice of God Church, Daniel Smith, to testify.”If they have got the money belonging to the SSC, they must repay it.If there is a constitution, it must be brought to court,” he said.If Smith refused, he should be subpoenaed, Acting Judge Heathcote instructed.Before the inquiry adjourned last week, Josea told the court that he had paid over at least N$283 000 to his church – most of which he said was his tithes.He has also paid more than N$1 million to struggling “brothers” within the church, N$30 000 to a pastor a Bloemfontein church and thousands of US dollars more to Angolan “brothers”.If Kandara has returned from South Africa, where he has been for the past month, by tomorrow, he is set to take his place at the witness stand to give evidence in the inquiry.When the inquiry adjourned on Thursday evening last week, Acting Judge Raymond Heathcote said those still scheduled to testify would make way for Kandara tomorrow, if he did indeed arrive.Last week, Kandara’s wife, Christophine Kandara, told the court that she wished her husband would arrive to tell them all the things they were dying to know, and which she didn’t know.The Kandara couple’s lawyer, Lucius Murorua, said on Friday that Lazarus Kandara would be at court tomorrow.He was still waiting for Kandara to inform him of his exact travel schedule from South Africa though, Murorua said.Others still scheduled to testify include the Acting Secretary General of the National Youth Council, Ralph Blaauw, whose wife is a director of Avid but whose name has featured more than hers in evidence so far heard about Avid’s activities, and a one-time director of Avid, retired NDF Brigadier Mathias Shiweda.They were scheduled to testify on Thursday, but Namangol Investments Chief Executive Officer Nico Josea spent the whole day and the early evening in the witness box being questioned by SSC legal counsel Andrew Corbett.Acting Judge Heathcote also told the court on Thursday that the CEO of the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority, Frans van Rensburg, had made an about-turn and had left a message at the judge’s office that he was now prepared to testify.Van Rensburg said if he was unable to come himself, he would send a substitute.Last week a message was relayed to the court that the Namfisa CEO refused to testify, saying that he would only do so if subpoenaed.Acting Judge Heathcote said Van Rensburg had said that his initial refusal was because he was unsure as to what he was expected to testify about.The Acting Judge also added that he was “very serious” that all efforts be made to get the pastor of the Voice of God Church, Daniel Smith, to testify.”If they have got the money belonging to the SSC, they must repay it.If there is a constitution, it must be brought to court,” he said.If Smith refused, he should be subpoenaed, Acting Judge Heathcote instructed.Before the inquiry adjourned last week, Josea told the court that he had paid over at least N$283 000 to his church – most of which he said was his tithes.He has also paid more than N$1 million to struggling “brothers” within the church, N$30 000 to a pastor a Bloemfontein church and thousands of US dollars more to Angolan “brothers”.