WINDHOEK – Dr Boniface Mutumba, University of Namibia’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance was arrested on Wednesday by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) agents for alleged corrupt involvement in a N$16, 2 million Unam tender.
The allegations against Mutumba and his co-accused Ruben Prinz the Assistant Director of Estate at Unam pertain to their alleged “corrupt use of office and position for gratification,” states an ACC media statement.
Mutumba who until his suspension in June this year held the Unam position, was arrested on Wednesday and appeared in court the same day. He was released on bail of N$5 000.
Prinz the Assistant Director Estate was arrested on Monday and spent a night in custody until Tuesday when he appeared in court and was granted bail of N$5 000 by Magistrate Cosmos Endjala.
Prinz was represented by Kadhila Amoomo while Alexis Alexander prosecuted. Endjala is also the magistrate who granted bail to Mutumba. The case was postponed to October 03 for the setting of a trial date.
According to information provided by the ACC, Prinz recommended a company other than the one preferred by the consultant on a tender for the construction of hostel facilities at the Neudam Campus.
He allegedly went with the proposal to Matumbu who in turn instructed him to propose another company that he (Mutumba) preferred. Both the companies preferred by the two were more expensive by over one million Namibian dollars than the ones submitted by the consultant.
Prinz then omitted certain information and provided the Unam’s Tender Board during his motivation with incorrect information regarding the company that Mutumba allegedly preferred, the statement by the ACC reads.
The Tender Board of which Mutumba was a member, then awarded the tender to C&K Construction and Electrical based on the false information provided by Prinz, according to the ACC.
The process was stopped before implementation when suspicions were raised in respect of the tender allocation. Mutumba is on suspension with full pay, but the suspension is not related to this issue, Unam’s public relations officer, John Haufiku told New Era upon enquiry.
He said Mutumba was suspended to stop him from interfering with an internal investigation against him.
Haufiku said Prinz is back at work according to the institution’s policy of innocent until proven guilty.
He further said Mutumba’s suspension with full pay is also indicative of the same policy.