Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Paulus Noa says the habitual borrowing of money from three state institutions for the minister of higher education, technology and innovation Itah Kandjii-Murangi’s travelling expenses does not constitute a corrupt practice which warrants investigation and criminal prosecution.
“Unless there is proof that it was done with corrupt intent. In such a case, the one who alleges must give proof to ACC,” Noa said in a press statement yesterday.
He said the practice involves an internal administrative arrangement between the executive director and the management of the respective institution.
Noa said the ACC has an authorisation letter for the minister’s trip, as well as proof that her office refunded the claimed allowances.
He said Job Amupanda has a hidden agenda since he posted the accusations on social media instead of handing the case over to the ACC.
“The ACC finds no reason why she should be vilified, persecuted, and judged in the public kangaroo court,” the statement reads.
Noa said the ACC is still waiting for Amupanda to provide formal statements and documentary proof in support of his accusations.
“Though the ACC is satisfied with documentary evidence the executive director submitted, the ACC will still serve summons to the respective heads of the three institutions to depose affidavits and confirm proof by the ministry,” he said.
Amupanda in response to Noa’s statement said the ACC’s credibility is damaged. Kandjii-Murangi has received a payment of N$22 000 for her daily subsistence and travel (S&T) allowance to New York from Unesco Namibia.
“Unesco wishes to clarify that it has not pursued the minister regarding any reimbursement of the daily subsistence and travel and allowance which was paid to the minister, in accordance with UN rules and procedures,” Unesco noted in a press release yesterday.
Kandjii-Murangi has come under fire after Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda, on his social media platforms, accused her of corruption and malfeasance for requesting and receiving S&T allowances from various state institutions under her ministry.
In a statement issued yesterday, Unesco said they are not pursuing the minister because the Namibia National Commission for Unesco has been established by the government of Namibia, and is separate from their office.
Unesco clarified that the commission is a national entity which operates under national regulations.
Kandjii-Murangi also claimed N$900 400 from three tertiary institutions which fall under her ministry.
Nust confirmed that it gave the minister N$140 600 for her official trip to South Korea, while Unam has confirmed providing N$310 400 to the minister for her travel expenses on an undisclosed official trip.
Nust said the payment to the minister was approved by university management. However, three management sources have denied this. They claim the payment was authorised by the registrar, Francis Nyathi, who was the acting vice chancellor of the university at the time.
Vice chancellor Erold Naomab was allegedly not available at the time.
Nyathi yesterday said “it’s false” before referring The Namibian to Nust spokesperson John Haufiku.
Some Nust management members have challenged the university to provide minutes of the meeting during which the payment to the minister was approved.
A source privy to the matter said the minister also claimed N$450 000 from another government-owned institution, the Namibia Training Authority (NTA), for a trip to the United Kingdom for an education conference.
The NTA board reportedly rejected the minister’s request, however, a source on the board said although the request was rejected, the board members later learned that the money was paid to the minister.
The NTA issued an invoice of N$119 500 to Kandjii-Murangi on 23 May 2022, and an additional amount of N$54 850 was issued to Lungenesia Uaseuapuami, who is the minister’s personal assistant. The invoice also indicates that a further N$164 152 was issued for their flight tickets.
“All such requests were dealt with at the board level. Mind you, the NTA is not awash with money and any such expenditure meant a postponement of some critical services,” noted the source.
In all the requests sent out to the institutions by the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation, the ministry claimed it could not reallocate money in its budget to cover the minister’s S&T allowance.
Kandjii-Murangi, in a statement on Tuesday, said there was nothing untoward about her claiming the funds from institutions that fall under her ministry.
“Unam, Nust and NTA were approached to assist the ministry in paying the minister, and after the resources were made available to the ministry the public institutions were refunded, accordingly,” the ministry said in a statement.
Asked if president Hage Geingob plans to take any action against the minister, presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari said: “I reiterate the position I shared with you on Sunday. A due process that respects systems and institutions of the republic.”
Hengari told The Namibian on Sunday the president will remove Kandjii-Murangi as minister if allegations against her prove substantive.
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