The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is investigating former Aranos mayor Elden Kuhanga for allegedly influencing the award of a N$556 000 contract to his own company.
ACC director general Paulus Noa has confirmed the investigation into Kuhanga, who is the current Independent Patriots for Change Hardap deputy regional chairperson.
Noa says the investigation started in 2020 when Kuhanga was the mayor of Aranos.
“I can only confirm the investigation, which is at advanced stage. We shall in a short time submit the docket to the prosecutor general. I cannot reveal who else is being investigated in this particular case,” Noa told The Namibian last Thursday.
Kuhanga served as Aranos mayor from 2016 until 2020.
He resigned from Swapo in October 2020 and joined the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC).
In October 2020, the Aranos Town Council’s procurement committee awarded a tender to /Hoa-/Hao Enterprises CC to renovate the Aranos Town Council’s chief executive officer’s house and council workshop building.
Records from the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa) show that Kuhanga owns a 33.3% stake in the company. Other shareholders in the company are Fillipus Ricky Kleinbooi and Jacobus Visser.
/Hoa-/Hao Enterprises CC was registered in 2014.
Sources alleged that Kuhanga asked to be removed from the company, after the matter was reported to the ACC in 2021.
Bipa records show that the company’s ownership was amended in September 2021 – with Kuhanga removed. Kleinbooi and Visser now share 50-50 ownership of the company.
Kuhanga denied any wrongdoing when contacted by The Namibian recently.
“I am aware of the investigation because I was questioned by the ACC a month ago. The investigation is still in progress,” he said.
“I really don’t want to comment so much on it. But what I can tell you is that the other two partners of mine in the company are the ones who applied for the tender, not me.
“So, just because I was the mayor at the time, it does not mean I influenced it. But those who say I did, must prove how I did it.”
Other than Kuhanga, documents show that the ACC summoned other council officials in July, including two former chief executives, members of the council’s procurement committee and councillors.
The council’s head of procurement management committee, Annemarie van Rooi, told The Namibian last Friday she could not discuss the matter with the media.
“We are not allowed to speak about this matter to the media or anyone else about what happens here,” she said.
In March 2022, finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi tabled an amendment to Namibia’s procurement law that blocks public office-bearers, staff and board members from doing business with the public entities they work for.
For years, officials have benefited by working for the state and abusing their positions to benefit from the government through tenders and other means.
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