By Chrispin Inambao WINDHOEK NBC’s highest-paid executive, Kobus Groenewald, a chartered accountant who worked as General Manager: Finance and Marketing, resigned in frustration after his subordinate was acquitted last week by a disciplinary panel that presided over the case. The subordinate, who was suspended two days ago in connection with uttering “insulting” remarks at a highly-charged disciplinary hearing chaired by Ruben Prinz, the NBC General Manager: Technical Services, was named as Lichen Ramakutla. Employed in the capacity of senior financial accountant, she was recently hauled before a disciplinary hearing for absenteeism. The acquittal on grounds of “lack of evidence” against Ramakutla prompted the resignation of Groenewald. According to sources, he was not amused by the acquittal. She had appeared before the disciplinary hearing on a host of charges, among them absenteeism from work without official leave, and the other allegation against her was one of failing to complete work assignments and that her performance was below par and unsatisfactory, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. One of the accusations she faced was that she failed to complete bank reconciliations from the period November 2006 to January of this year, according to sources. Peter Denk, the Commissioning Editor: NBC TV, was on the panel that acquitted Ramakutla, which ruling infuriated Groenewald. He possesses a wealth of experience in the private sector and was lured into the corporation with a gilt-edged, five-year contract. And shortly after the chartered accountant’s resignation, Selma Kapeng, a chief management accountant in the finance department, also tendered her resignation, but well-placed sources within the corporation say the two managers’ resignations are not related. Nevertheless, the resignations and the suspension of Ramakutla have turned NBC’s finance department upside down because it comes at a crucial period when the department is obliged to submit crucial financial statements with the 2006 financial year nearing its end. One insider suggested the reason for the resignation of the G.M: Finance is an indication that the hearing was “improperly” constituted in light of the recent suspension over a contractual dispute of Theo Karipi, the General Manager for Administration and Human Resources. Though NBC insiders do not support Ramakutla’s outburst, they say the suspension is “irrational” because it leaves the corporation without a qualified person in its finance department. Groenewald was appointed in the middle of November last year, whilst Kapeng started work in August. Groenewald received a “very, very remunerative package” as he was overseeing the crucial portfolios of finance, marketing, communication and business development and that of sales, but it appears he had little time to attend to all these tasks. The reason why he apparently had limited time was that he had a special working arrangement with the Board which allowed him to work for a certain period of time despite the hefty pay. NBC’s Director-General, Bob Kandetu, was unavailable for comment. Management was given strict instructions by the D-G not to divulge any information on the two resignations.