NEWS - NAMIBIA
| 2013-07-25Police targets top Hardap officials
Luqman Cloete
ARRESTS of three Hardap Regional Council officials suspected of having embezzled close to N$150 000 from council coffers could be made this week.
The acting Hardap Police regional crime coordinator, chief inspector Asser Kapukare, yesterday told The Namibian that officials probing the misappropriation of council money are preparing to swoop on three top officials before the end of the week.
The alleged misappropriation of money at council was detected after a routine bank reconciliation, The Namibian was informed.
The bank reconciliation uncovered discrepancies in a form of an unexplained cheque payment of N$72 400 and a N$75 590 bank electronic transfer to Monate Events Management, a company believed to be owned by Van Wyks’ wife, The Namibian was told.
The cheque payment was signed by Van Wyk and council’s planning director Theresia Basson on 3 January 2012, while the electronic bank transfer was authorised by Van Wyk and council’s chief executive officer Yvonne Boois in March this year.
Following the detection of the irregular payments, council resolved to remove Basson and Van Wyk as signatories on the council’s bank accounts, and moved Van Wyk from his office to the Mariental Urban constituency office. It also ordered Basson to vacate her office and to occupy one of the planning directorates sub division offices.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has recommended to the council not to extend the probation period of Rehoboth Rural Constituency Schilp office chief control officer Reinoldt Cloete.
This follows after the council sought guidance from the PSC on how to deal with Cloete after an audit revealed that N$ 152 000 generated through water and electricity sales had gone missing between April and December in 2011. The council’s chairperson, Jeremia Van Neel yesterday confirmed the PSC’ recommendation, adding that council is just awaiting a recommendation from its chief regional officer to decide on whether a criminal case should be registered against Cloete.
Van Neel added that council has also lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Corruption Commission over the Schilp office’s missing money.
“We are are waiting for recommendations from the ACC,” Van Neel added.
luqman@namibian.com.na
The acting Hardap Police regional crime coordinator, chief inspector Asser Kapukare, yesterday told The Namibian that officials probing the misappropriation of council money are preparing to swoop on three top officials before the end of the week.
The alleged misappropriation of money at council was detected after a routine bank reconciliation, The Namibian was informed.
The bank reconciliation uncovered discrepancies in a form of an unexplained cheque payment of N$72 400 and a N$75 590 bank electronic transfer to Monate Events Management, a company believed to be owned by Van Wyks’ wife, The Namibian was told.
The cheque payment was signed by Van Wyk and council’s planning director Theresia Basson on 3 January 2012, while the electronic bank transfer was authorised by Van Wyk and council’s chief executive officer Yvonne Boois in March this year.
Following the detection of the irregular payments, council resolved to remove Basson and Van Wyk as signatories on the council’s bank accounts, and moved Van Wyk from his office to the Mariental Urban constituency office. It also ordered Basson to vacate her office and to occupy one of the planning directorates sub division offices.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has recommended to the council not to extend the probation period of Rehoboth Rural Constituency Schilp office chief control officer Reinoldt Cloete.
This follows after the council sought guidance from the PSC on how to deal with Cloete after an audit revealed that N$ 152 000 generated through water and electricity sales had gone missing between April and December in 2011. The council’s chairperson, Jeremia Van Neel yesterday confirmed the PSC’ recommendation, adding that council is just awaiting a recommendation from its chief regional officer to decide on whether a criminal case should be registered against Cloete.
Van Neel added that council has also lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Corruption Commission over the Schilp office’s missing money.
“We are are waiting for recommendations from the ACC,” Van Neel added.
luqman@namibian.com.na
