OFFICERS of the Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday arrested the Karas Regional Council’s Chief Regional Officer, Salmaan Jacobs, on a charge of corruption.
Jacobs is accused of defrauding the Karas Regional Council of close to N$32 000 after he allegedly claimed N$49 020 in extra expenses for attending a month-long, all-expenses-paid workshop in Germany. Jacobs, who faces charges related to contravening Section 43 of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003, yesterday made his first appearance in the Keetmanshoop Magistrate’s Court.State Prosecutor Billy Lutaka agreed to release Jacobs on bail of N$7 000, but on condition that he may not enter his workplace without the approval of the Keetmanshoop Police Regional Crime Co-ordinator, Inspector Chris Tjihiua.An ACC investigation into the alleged corruption followed an article in The Namibian on Jacobs’s workshop expense claims.The Karas official joined one other Namibian, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in attending the workshop sponsored by InWent, a German capacity-building organisation, between August 28 and September 22 last year.Ursula Sekulla, project manager for the workshop, said in an earlier telephonic interview from Bonn that the entire costs of the workshop – including transportation, accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner, and insurance fees – were covered by InWent.Nonetheless, he proceeded to claim thousands in extra expenses.Jacobs’s case was yesterday postponed until September 7 for further investigation.He was represented by Gerrit van den Heever of Lentin and Bothma legal practitioners.Jacobs is still in the employ of the Council.The Namibian was reliably informed that at its ordinary council meeting last week, Council discussed whether to suspend Jacobs.It reportedly agreed to call for his suspension, but first wanted to seek legal advice, a source said.It is speculated that the Council’s decision to consider booting Jacobs was triggered by a letter he wrote to The Namibian, which was published under the headline ‘Salmaan Jacobs’s Side of the Story’.Meanwhile, The Namibian has it on good authority that the ACC has decided to put on hold its plans to arrest some other top politicians in the Karas and Hardap regions on charges of corruption.Last week, ACC investigators looked into claims for travel expenses and housing subsidies of some politicians in the two regions.Jacobs, who faces charges related to contravening Section 43 of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003, yesterday made his first appearance in the Keetmanshoop Magistrate’s Court.State Prosecutor Billy Lutaka agreed to release Jacobs on bail of N$7 000, but on condition that he may not enter his workplace without the approval of the Keetmanshoop Police Regional Crime Co-ordinator, Inspector Chris Tjihiua.An ACC investigation into the alleged corruption followed an article in The Namibian on Jacobs’s workshop expense claims.The Karas official joined one other Namibian, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in attending the workshop sponsored by InWent, a German capacity-building organisation, between August 28 and September 22 last year.Ursula Sekulla, project manager for the workshop, said in an earlier telephonic interview from Bonn that the entire costs of the workshop – including transportation, accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner, and insurance fees – were covered by InWent.Nonetheless, he proceeded to claim thousands in extra expenses.Jacobs’s case was yesterday postponed until September 7 for further investigation.He was represented by Gerrit van den Heever of Lentin and Bothma legal practitioners.Jacobs is still in the employ of the Council. The Namibian was reliably informed that at its ordinary council meeting last week, Council discussed whether to suspend Jacobs.It reportedly agreed to call for his suspension, but first wanted to seek legal advice, a source said.It is speculated that the Council’s decision to consider booting Jacobs was triggered by a letter he wrote to The Namibian, which was published under the headline ‘Salmaan Jacobs’s Side of the Story’.Meanwhile, The Namibian has it on good authority that the ACC has decided to put on hold its plans to arrest some other top politicians in the Karas and Hardap regions on charges of corruption.Last week, ACC investigators looked into claims for travel expenses and housing subsidies of some politicians in the two regions.
