Rudolf Gaiseb
Activist-in-chief of Affirmative Repositioning Job Amupanda has put the ministry of defence on the spot about the alleged corruption in the construction of the //Kharas Regional Council Office Park, a tender given to August 26 Construction.
Probing the defence minister, Frans Kapofi on Wednesday in Parliament, Amupanda alleged the presence of a N$4 million syndicate involving August 26 Construction, a subsidiary company of August 26 Holdings, and the //Kharas Regional Council.
“This company has effectively become a middleman getting preferential tenders from the State, sometimes without open competition, just to later dish these million-dollar tenders to their cronies, girlfriends, concubines and relatives of those in defence circles. The case in point is the N$255 million worth tender for 510 classrooms. In the fullness of time, Eagle 25, our corruption investigation arm, will reveal how the defence nepotism web lubricated each other with this tender,” he stated.
According to the activist, after acquiring the tender, August 26 Construction subcontracted Ultimate Traders CC for the supply and installation of furniture amounting to N$ 3 108 490.10. Of this amount, N$ 2 950 358.38 has already been paid to this company. “Ultimate Traders CC is said to be owned by Mr. Titus Iipumbu. The said Mr. Iipumbu appeared to be in an entanglement with Mr. Ralph Namiluko Sachika, the acting Chief Regional Officer of the //Kharas Regional Council. Through meetings between Mr. Iipumbu and Mr. Sachika, the amount of N$ 3 969 628.63 was paid into the FNB bank account of an internet company called Tushiko Internet Technologies CC, account number 62248254906. This payment was authorised by Mr. Sachika. This authorisation becomes important later. Although the payments were made to Tushiko Internet, the above-mentioned bank account is actually that of Tushiko Investments CC,” he said.
Once the money landed at Hosea Kutako Airport, in this case, Tushiko Investments CC, it was transferred into an FNB account of Maria Ndatulumukua Iipumbu, account number 55420034478.
He claimed, Maria Ndatulumukua Iipumbu then made several payments to numerous individuals, including Titus Iipumbu, who received more than N$2 million. She reportedly also paid an amount of N$700 000 to Lusia Ndinomayele Jacob‘s FNB account 62243295187. “Part of the money ended up in the bank account of a two-year-old, Robyn Ndeyanonga Sachika, the daughter of Ms Jacob and Acting Chief Regional Officer Mr. Ralph Namiluko Sachika.
Our investigation also suggests that Mr. Sachika was also blessed, like his daughter, by his baby mama, Ms Jacob, from the proceeds of the money he authorised to Tushiko Internet, which ended up with Ms Iipumbu, who then transferred the funds to Ms Jacob, who transferred money to his daughter and himself the main man,” he exposed.
Amupanda questioned the minister’s perspective on the root cause of corruption that appears to be embedded in the defence procurement system in general and the August 26 economic machinery in particular.
He believes that no major actions are taken on the real culprits involved in corruption, even when concrete evidence is unearthed.
He enquired if this is not one of the contributing factors to the perception that nothing happens because, in most of these corrupt transactions, the top “Munenes” of the defence system are always involved.
He believes it is time for a serious forensic investigation on corruption, operations, risks, efficiency and effectiveness of August 26 economic machinery so as to inform both short-term, medium-term and long-term interventions as the minister has the power. “Doesn’t the minister think it is time to reset and/or rethink August 26 economic machinery to repurpose, reposition and reorient this important military, and economic vehicle from being the headquarters of corruption to an important instrument of military industrial complex?” he questioned.
The minister is expected to respond next week.
-rrgaiseb@gmail.com
Photo: Heather Erdmann