ACC to probe Works fraud

THE Ministry of Works is to turn to the Anti-Corruption Commission in its bid to solve a drawn-out case in which several top officials are accused of tender-related fraud.

The Namibian has established that the team of investigators, headed by Alpheus Muheua from the Office of the Prime Minister, have had their deadline extended for the second time as they continue to unmask several major tender deals in which top officials entrusted to issue Works Ministry tenders were involved. While the scope of investigations widened, one senior official, Gerrit Mouton, was charged internally and fired after he was found guilty by a disciplinary committee.Two others, Japie Pretorius and Willy Gouws, have resigned while being investigated for alleged involvement in the massive tender scam.The fourth, Walter Rugheimer, who sources said was running a mini-tender board in the Ministry of Works, remains on suspension with full pay since September 2004.The case against the Director of Maintenance, Ben Booysen, was dropped and he is back at work.Well-placed sources in the Ministry of Works said the investigation would be concluded in a month or two, after its mandate was extended due to the scope which kept on expanding.The Ministry of Works has already approached the Office of the Prosecutor General to decide on criminal charges against the officials but a decision has yet to be made.In the meantime, sources said, people like Works Minister Joel Kaapanda have grown impatient and the findings of the Muheua team would be submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission.”They are fast.With them it is up to the individuals to prove that they are innocent.In the case of the PG’s Office, they have to first check whether there is a prima facie case,” said one source.The five officials were on full pay with benefits for a year without setting foot in the office.The suspension of the officials, effective from September 2004, was extended indefinitely while Police investigators and Muheua’s team continued to probe their alleged involvement.The investigation was expected to be finalised by the end of March this year but was extended because its scope had widened.The five top officials were suspended after allegations surfaced that they had been involved in bribing businesses that tender for Government jobs.Sources said Minister Kaapanda was expected to brief the National Assembly on the prolonged investigation this week.At least one of the five officials was accused of owning a company that only existed on paper but was paid by Government for “work done”.Sources alleged that some of the top officials were linked to companies that were usually awarded the tenders to repair hospital equipment.However, these companies allegedly kept on doing a poor job to ensure that they could go back for more work, and payments, without being called to order.While the scope of investigations widened, one senior official, Gerrit Mouton, was charged internally and fired after he was found guilty by a disciplinary committee.Two others, Japie Pretorius and Willy Gouws, have resigned while being investigated for alleged involvement in the massive tender scam. The fourth, Walter Rugheimer, who sources said was running a mini-tender board in the Ministry of Works, remains on suspension with full pay since September 2004.The case against the Director of Maintenance, Ben Booysen, was dropped and he is back at work.Well-placed sources in the Ministry of Works said the investigation would be concluded in a month or two, after its mandate was extended due to the scope which kept on expanding.The Ministry of Works has already approached the Office of the Prosecutor General to decide on criminal charges against the officials but a decision has yet to be made. In the meantime, sources said, people like Works Minister Joel Kaapanda have grown impatient and the findings of the Muheua team would be submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission.”They are fast.With them it is up to the individuals to prove that they are innocent.In the case of the PG’s Office, they have to first check whether there is a prima facie case,” said one source.The five officials were on full pay with benefits for a year without setting foot in the office.The suspension of the officials, effective from September 2004, was extended indefinitely while Police investigators and Muheua’s team continued to probe their alleged involvement.The investigation was expected to be finalised by the end of March this year but was extended because its scope had widened.The five top officials were suspended after allegations surfaced that they had been involved in bribing businesses that tender for Government jobs.Sources said Minister Kaapanda was expected to brief the National Assembly on the prolonged investigation this week.At least one of the five officials was accused of owning a company that only existed on paper but was paid by Government for “work done”.Sources alleged that some of the top officials were linked to companies that were usually awarded the tenders to repair hospital equipment.However, these companies allegedly kept on doing a poor job to ensure that they could go back for more work, and payments, without being called to order.