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Home / ACC tightlipped on // Karas' missing millions
ACC tightlipped on // Karas' missing millions
2016-11-23Staff Report 2 Keetmanshoop The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) says it has not launched any probe into allegations of the N$77,2 million that reportedly went missing at //Karas Regional Council. A recent audit report into the finances of the council reportedly unearthed that the council cannot account for about N$77,2 million at //Karas Regional Council that was meant for capital projects in the region, but the ACC says the council has no case to answer. ACC director general Paulus Noa told New Era that the ACC has not received any information on any such irregularities at the council and that there is no evidence on his table that warranties the commission to open any enquiry into the matter. Noa said he has seen newspaper reports on the matter, but the commission cannot simply act on the allegations without substantial evidence indicating that there was in fact wrongdoing on the part of council members. He added that it is one thing for money to have been stolen and another for money to have been used inappropriately, saying it is easy for people to say money is “missing”, but the allegations must come with evidence for the commission to be able to carry out its duties. “If there is money missing and there was any embezzlement at the council then the chief administrator must report this to us with accurate information for us to take it up, otherwise we don’t have a case,” the head of the ACC explained yesterday. Meanwhile, //Karas regional councillors are expected to have another council session next week Friday, where the audit report will be discussed in detail and where chief regional officer Saul Kahuika will be expected to respond in detail to the allegations contained in the report. Kahuika confirmed that he received the report and has gone through it and that he would sit with the councillors to scrutinise the report next week. Council chairperson Jan Scholtz also confirmed that the meeting will focus on the audit report, noting that it will be the only point of discussion. The meeting will be an extraordinary council meeting and thus the media and the public will not be allowed to attend, Scholtz noted, adding that this is standard practice if such contentious issues are to be discussed. “If we discuss sensitive matters, like this one, then the public can’t be there. It should be in camera,” he said. Asked whether the regional council will communicate the outcome of the deliberations with the general public, he said the council would decide in due course whether to inform the public of the outcome of the meeting or not. 2016-11-23Staff Report 2
