WINDHOEK – The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC ) Director Paulus Noa said he was satisfied with the qualifications of the under fire acting Roads Contractor Company (RCC) CEO Dr Pieter Oosthuizen.
The anti-graft body last month gave the RCC an ultimatum to produce proof of its acting boss’s qualifications and authenticity of his work permit.
“Yes he has been cleared. He came to us personally to show us the original documents and we were satisfied,” said Noa yesterday.
Noa said other allegations relating to Oosthuizen’s work permit is not within the mandate of the ACC but other institutions such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.
Oosthuizen is also the chairman of the TransNamib board of directors. He was appointed to that position by former works and transport minister Erkki Nghimtina last year. Nghimtina is the new minister of labour.
The qualifications of Oosthuizen – a South African national – have been a subject of much debate in recent months, with allegations that the American university quoted on his CV was not in existence during the cited time of acquiring such qualifications.
ACC last month summoned RCC’s human resources department to produce relevant documents regarding Oosthuizen, Noa said.
“We are also investigating claims that Cabinet did not approve his [Oosthuizen’s] appointment as chairperson of the TransNamib board,” Noa told New Era last week.
Meanwhile, TransNamib Namibia yesterday afternoon sent out a media release in which it states that although Oosthuizen has been cleared by the ACC, his reputation was already tarnished by allegations about his qualifications.
“While TransNamib accepts the clearance of Dr Oosthuizen as pronounced by the Anti-Corruption Commission, this does not undo the defamation of character the TransNamib Board chairman, the entire Board of Directors and its leadership team suffered as a result,” said the company’s executive spokesperson Struggle Ihuhua.
Indirectly referring to suspended TransNamib chief executive Saara Naanda’s lawyer Richard Metcalfe, Ihuhua said: “It is unfortunate that a local law firm representing a suspended employee tarnished the good reputation of innocent people who only seek to make a contribution to the growth and prosperity of the Republic of Namibia.”