Chief administrator of the troubled Namibia Sports Commission (NSC), Freddy Mwiya yesterday poured cold water on damning allegations of forgery, fraud and theft by two senior managers at the state-run sport organisation. 

In a letter dated 28 July 2022, signed by NSC commissioners Turky Ndashiiva, Adlehied Jacobs and Simon Uirab, it was recommended that Mwiya should suspend NSC development officer Tjeripo Musutua and the organization’s head of finance and administration Junias Hamalua for alleged fraud, forgery and theft of pension fund money. 

Ndashiiva, Jacobs and Uirab, who formed part of the NSC’s human resources, compliance and administration committee, in their letter uncovered that between 2019 and 2021 Musutua and Hamalua fraudulently accessed their pension money by using forged resignation letters and signatures. 

The three-member committee, in two separate letters dated 20 June 2020 sent to both accused, pointed out that Musutua retrieved an amount of N$273 561.84 from the NSC’s pension fund through the usage of forged documents, while Hamalua allegedly also used the same illicit process to access N$40  931 32 of his pension money. 

In light of the aforementioned allegations, Ndashiiva, Jacobs and Uirab recommended that Mwiya suspends Musutua and Hamalua with immediate effect and that further investigations be carried out under the patronage of a properly constituted disciplinary committee. 

“…you intentionally, wrongfully and unlawfully, at the NSC offices, completed the Old Mutual pension fund payment claims purporting that you have resigned from the employment of the NSC and thereby accessing your pension fund, inclusive of the employers’ contributions while you have materially not resigned from the employment of the NSC. The NSC regards your conduct in a very serious light. As you are aware, fraud and theft are category offences which could carry a sanction of heavy disciplinary measures,” reads in part the 20 June 2022 letters sent to both Musutua and Hamalua. 

Contacted for comment yesterday, Mwiya acknowledged that there is such a recommended of the Ndashiiva, Jacobs and Uirab committee to suspend and investigate the two accused, but insisted that it is still premature to conclude that the two employees did indeed unlawfully withdrew their pension money as “as other evidence also indicates that there was provision for them and all other NSC employees to access their pension in full at the time.”

“Because at the time, the NSC was migrating from one pension fund to another and during that process, employees had the choice to either access their money or transfer it in full to the new pension fund. But it seems the two accused chose to access their money in full. But as I said, I still have to do more investigations into the whole transaction because we must also bear in mind what the Namfisa rules say when accessing your pension money. But by next week, I will have enough evidence at my disposal to give the NSC’s proper position on the issue. For now, it will be too early to comment in full on the accusations. Give me time until next week, I’m on top of this matter as we speak,” said Mwiya. 

- ohembapu@nepc.com.na