HIGHER Education, Training, and Innovation Minister, Itah Kandjii-Murangi, says President Hage Geingob could not dismiss her for alleged corruption because he was aware of the facts.
Kandjii-Murangi withstood calls for her resignation and dismissal last year following media reports that she was unduly paid subsistence and travel allowances (S&T).
It was alleged that the minister used political muscle to coerce state-owned institutions under her authority to pay her S&T to attend fully-sponsored events overseas.
According to the media, Kandjii-Murangi and her personal assistant received about N$2 million in S&T from the University of Namibia, the Namibia University of Science and Technology and the Namibia Training Authority, among others.
But after an investigation into the matter, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said it found no evidence that the minister claimed S&T while knowing the official events were fully sponsored.
To this end, Kandjii-Murangi told Nampa in an interview that the ACC vindicated her. She further said President Geingob could not take action against her, based on allegations.
“You know what is important is that the President is now gone, but he went with the truth. The truth is what came from the ACC. Like any citizen of this country, one cannot be tried by the public courts unless there is some kind of conspiracy.
“But other than that, the best channel established within a state that thrives in upholding the rule of law is to go through the ACC. And indeed, ACC did exonerate me then and recently,” she said.
The minister described the S&T payment as an administrative matter that was dealt with through the office of the executive director (ED).
“As a ministry, we were asked through the ED’s office, who is responsible for administrative matters, because really all those things that I was accused of were all administrative in nature. I do not calculate any S&T, nor do I know the formula they use. So that is that, and really, I don’t have anything to say other than that it gives me peace that the President went with the truth. Otherwise, he ought to have acted like he acted on others before me,” the minister said. -Nampa