Awaiting The ‘Wrath Of The Law’

THE question on everyone’s lips is when someone will be made an example of when he or she is found guilty of abusing public trust for stealing money.

We have written about corruption in all its manifestations on so many occasions that sometimes our words begin to sound like a tired litany of complaints that see no end. In his speech to Parliament this week, President Sam Nujoma did make mention of the “scourge” of corruption.And to give him credit, while he lauded the passing of the Anti-Corruption Act he went on to say that the commissions to probe irregularities in the management of state-owned enterprises would “ensure that all those responsible for such malpractices will face the full wrath of the law”.This is all well and good.The point is: When will we see action in this regard? We have written endlessly about the various presidential commissions appointed to investigate irregularities in one or another parastatal or state-owned enterprise.We have reported them virtually blow by blow.We have encouraged their investigations and have urged that action follow to justify the effort put in.While the commissions have done much to reveal the extent of corruption in parastatals, their activities, outcome and recommendations have not been taken to their logical outcome – the prosecution of those responsible for acts of corruption in one form or another.This is where we would urge the President to give weight to the words he uttered in Parliament this week, namely that these perpetrators “…face the full wrath of the law”.It has not happened as yet.In too many cases, commissions have been and gone, at great expense to the taxpayer, only to disappear into the sands of time, while those who caused them to be held in the first place flourish on.To mention just a few of them: the Social Security Commission; the Roads Authority and Roads Fund Administration; and the Airports Company, among others, have gone through various probes and commissions and forensic audits; some of them taking months to complete – and then follows the silence.In many cases suspended officials who continue to be paid high salaries during and after these hearings have pointed to wrongdoing.In the meantime, their substitutes are also remunerated.The costs continue to escalate for the country and its people.In addition comes the not insignificant amounts spent on trying to clean up after them, and this includes the commissions and the forensic audits, among others.Add all these costs to the amounts originally stolen or misappropriated, and we would all undoubtedly be stunned into disbelief ,for we can only guess at the extent of it.The costs of corruption, as is widely known but apparently still ignored, are unaffordable, particularly to a country such as ours whose resources are not endless.We have only made mention here of the parastatals and their cost to country and people.There are many others.In regional councils, local authorities, Government as a whole, we are losing our precious financial assets to outright corruption and mismanagement to a frightening degree.There are daily reports to this effect.It is becoming so deeply entrenched in our daily lives that we cannot but wonder whether any institution is free of it.And while corruption, like so many other evils, will always exist in some form or another we have to be seen not only to identifying this scourge but, more important, to root it out.The most obvious way of doing that is, as the President promised, to bring the “full wrath of the law” down upon the perpetrators.In his speech to Parliament this week, President Sam Nujoma did make mention of the “scourge” of corruption. And to give him credit, while he lauded the passing of the Anti-Corruption Act he went on to say that the commissions to probe irregularities in the management of state-owned enterprises would “ensure that all those responsible for such malpractices will face the full wrath of the law”. This is all well and good. The point is: When will we see action in this regard? We have written endlessly about the various presidential commissions appointed to investigate irregularities in one or another parastatal or state-owned enterprise. We have reported them virtually blow by blow. We have encouraged their investigations and have urged that action follow to justify the effort put in. While the commissions have done much to reveal the extent of corruption in parastatals, their activities, outcome and recommendations have not been taken to their logical outcome – the prosecution of those responsible for acts of corruption in one form or another. This is where we would urge the President to give weight to the words he uttered in Parliament this week, namely that these perpetrators “…face the full wrath of the law”. It has not happened as yet. In too many cases, commissions have been and gone, at great expense to the taxpayer, only to disappear into the sands of time, while those who caused them to be held in the first place flourish on. To mention just a few of them: the Social Security Commission; the Roads Authority and Roads Fund Administration; and the Airports Company, among others, have gone through various probes and commissions and forensic audits; some of them taking months to complete – and then follows the silence. In many cases suspended officials who continue to be paid high salaries during and after these hearings have pointed to wrongdoing. In the meantime, their substitutes are also remunerated. The costs continue to escalate for the country and its people. In addition comes the not insignificant amounts spent on trying to clean up after them, and this includes the commissions and the forensic audits, among others. Add all these costs to the amounts originally stolen or misappropriated, and we would all undoubtedly be stunned into disbelief ,for we can only guess at the extent of it. The costs of corruption, as is widely known but apparently still ignored, are unaffordable, particularly to a country such as ours whose resources are not endless. We have only made mention here of the parastatals and their cost to country and people. There are many others. In regional councils, local authorities, Government as a whole, we are losing our precious financial assets to outright corruption and mismanagement to a frightening degree. There are daily reports to this effect. It is becoming so deeply entrenched in our daily lives that we cannot but wonder whether any institution is free of it. And while corruption, like so many other evils, will always exist in some form or another we have to be seen not only to identifying this scourge but, more important, to root it out. The most obvious way of doing that is, as the President promised, to bring the “full wrath of the law” down upon the perpetrators.