A GERMAN newspaper has accused the Namibian ambassador to Germany, Andreas Guibeb, of failing to pay 80 000 euros (about N$1,4 million) for work done at the embassy.
The Bild Zeitung claims that Diskurs Communication did a public relations job to help the embassy promote investment and tourism in Namibia.
Freidrich Schiller University, the paper said, conducted research on polycare technology with Friends of Namibia on behalf of the embassy.
The embassy, the Bild Zeitung said, was supposed to pay a combined 80 000 euros for the job.
After failing to pay up, the paper further said, a German court issued a warrant of arrest this month against Guibeb.
“As ambassador, Andreas Guibeb (65) represents the head of state of Namibia in Germany. Here, he promotes more engagement of German companies in his country.
“But orders have to be paid, the diplomat seems to forget. Because he has debts, he received reminders and even a warrant!,” the paper said.
The only reason the German authorities did not act on the warrant of arrest issued by the court, the report said, was because Guibeb has diplomatic immunity.
In a three-page response to The Namibian yesterday, Guibeb dismissed the report, saying it was fake news.
He added that the claims by the company called Diskurs Communication being referred to in the story was dismissed “with costs by the Berlin High Court”.
The ambassador added that the issue was also politicised, stating that the company’s lawyers were members of the ruling Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) in the Bundestag (parliament).
“It is a non-story, fake news, with clear propaganda intent against maybe the reparations talks between the German and Namibian governments. There is no such a thing as an arrest warrant – against the Namibian ambassador – as claimed,” he said.
According to Guibeb, the contract between Diskurs and the embassy was terminated by the embassy in 2016 due to a lack of funds. However, the company sued the embassy, claiming that it was not notified on time.
The ambassador further stated that the purported debt to the university was “unrelated to the claims made by Diskurs”.
“It is sub judice. The embassy would not like to comment as it is an internal Thuringia State matter that is under consideration by the state authorities,” he said.
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