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Thursday, September 25, 2003 - Web posted at 7:06:32 GMT

Fraud shock at Nored

CHRISTOF MALETSKY

THREE people have been charged with the theft of more than N$500 000 at power supplier Northern Electricity Distribution (Nored).

The three are accused of allegedly pocketing payments from clients.

Nored Managing Director, Martin Heita, confirmed the theft but said what had been discovered so far was just the tip of the iceberg.

Internal investigations are underway and more people are suspected to be involved.

Nored Ondangwa office administrator, Lempy Angula, and cashier, Cecilie Kaaheke, as well as Opuwo office cashier, Elsey Kauhonina, have all made brief appearances in the Oshakati and Opuwo Magistrate's Courts.

They have also been dismissed from the company.

Heita said the trio were dismissed after internal investigations and after the case was handed over to the Police.

Heita said the employees allegedly stole money collected from electricity sales and submitted fraudulent documents to the head office at Ondangwa.

Angula, Kaaheke and Kauhonina are out on bail.

"It is not something new.

It was happening at Northern Electricity and because there was no proper control, they managed to get away with it for the first few months.

It seems we have taken over some rotten apples," he claimed.

Heita said that so far the investigations have only focused on the period between March last year and February this year.

"We also have records of Northern Electricity.

It continued from there and they got spoiled because no one found out about what they were doing, " Heita claimed.

The Nored management believes that they have just touched the surface and that more people are likely to be arrested in due course.

"There are a few more outstanding cases that we would not like to disclose now," said Nored's Human Resource Manager Fredrick Nghiitete.

Heita said the company was in close contact with the Police.

Nored's area of supply and distribution includes the towns and regions in the central north, north west and north east of Namibia.

Yesterday, Nghiitete and Finance Manager Steven Mulenga left for Rundu to continue with the internal investigation.

Heita said one employee at the Rundu office was up for a disciplinary hearing because of alleged theft.

He said the theft was discovered by Mulenga after he joined Nored in February.

Nored took over from Northern Electricity in March last year and was subsequently granted a 25-year supply and distribution licence by the Electricity Control Board of Namibia (ECB).

The licence became effective on March 13.

The new company also took over the staff of Northern Electricity.

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