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‘Suspect’ Car Scheme at NAC

Home Archived ‘Suspect’ Car Scheme at NAC

By Chrispin Inambao WINDHOEK Fresh revelations of self-enrichment at the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) have resurfaced, where some managers are reportedly benefiting irregularly from a suspect vehicle scheme. In essence three managers at NAC are alleged to have been benefiting from a twin vehicle scheme that has possibly cost the company a huge sum of money in maintenance and fuel. Sources within NAC named the three beneficiaries as NAC’s manager for technical services, Gabes Muteka, Henry Ngenomesho the senior airport manager at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) and Dirk Booysen the manager at Walvis Bay Airport. Sources closely monitoring the suspect scheme say the trio bought vehicles under NAC’s vehicle scheme for its managers, but vehicles from the company’s fleet have been allocated to them 24 hours a day and seven days a week over the past few years. One of the managers allegedly even removed the company stickers from a vehicle but workers managing NAC’s fleet pasted them back. The trio are each paid several thousands of dollars a month in vehicle allowances, but they continue to drive the allocated cars, reports say. Other employees driving NAC’s vehicles are on the other hand told to return the vehicles to the pool at the close of business. Sources say since the three have been using NAC vehicles, incurring huge costs in terms of maintenance, they should be made to repay the company that in the past has suffered massive fraud. NAC was rocked by a huge financial scandal after one of its employees allegedly embezzled in excess of N$7 million before committing suicide in a scam that saw several managers being axed. The findings of the forensic audit to get to the bottom of the multi-million-dollar fraud implicated several people who have since left the employ of the airports company. Their names have yet to be made public. Sources say the twin vehicle scheme for the three managers has been a bone of contention within NAC for a while. Alternatively, the three could lodge claims for the kilometres clocked while driving the vehicles sub-sidised by the company that admits that it does not have an approved vehicle scheme. Sources say the issue was also brought to the attention of Gregory Lukowski, the Acting Chief Executive Officer at NAC. When his office was contacted for comment yesterday it referred all inquiries to Anton Theart, the Senior Manager for Human Resources. Theart confirmed there was such a complaint but he claimed the issue was resolved to the satisfaction of the parties involved. “Some of the information that you are at present saying they (the managers) are still utilising NAC pool vehicles is totally unfounded,” he said, adding the scheme is too complicated for outsiders to understand. New Era was unable to get the three managers for comment. In its annual financial report, NAC says it has been involved in a concerted effort aimed at putting in place effective internal control measures aimed at preven- ting fraud and other acts of abuse. It has also since revamped its finance department through which the fraudulent activities implicating at least one former employee nearly brought it to its knees.