The Ministry of Justice was on Monday scrutinised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs over millions of dollars, originally allocated for purchasing the ombudsman’s building in Windhoek, that have not been unaccounted for.

The committee, chaired by Swapo member of Parliament Tjekero Tweya, visited ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha on Monday.

 The meeting was also attended by Phulgentius Kahambundu from the justice ministry’s capital projects division. The committee is conducting a week-long visit and public hearings of capital projects.

Tweya questioned how the money was allocated and approved by Parliament for the purchasing of such a building between 2019 and 2020 – yet, to date, a building was not purchased. 

He said Parliament was informed
that such a building was purchased.

“We want to see that particular property that has been bought. It is not complicated. If the money was spent but the purchase of that building is not there, somebody will have to account. That is part of accountability. The community expects that infrastructure. At the end of the financial year, no one tells them – and they will just forget about it. We, from legislation, must now respond to the community,” he said.

Kahambundu said sale negotiations were halted after the building owner made a final offer of N$18 million, while the government’s valuation was N$11 million.

Private valuations stood at N$25 million.

“We then wrote to the National Planning Commission to reassign the money to other national projects,” he said.

“Usually if you have not used that money, it is returned to Treasury.
Our records are currently that the money was budgeted for, and that the property was purchased. The record should therefore have been corrected during the next financial report, but I don’t remember this being done,” Tweya remarked.

Swapo parliamentarian Phillipus Katamelo also grilled the ministry over the non-renewal of the rental contract since January 2024 to date. 

Over N$3 million is spent annually in rental fees for the current building that houses the ombudsman’s office.

“How are you, as a ministry, operating without a contract, yet you are spending public funds monthly in rental fees?” he questioned, adding that the ministry is currently spending more on rental fees than it would have for the purchase price.

-Nampa