Goabab suspended from Parliament job

THE highest-ranking civil servant in the National Assembly was suspended by the Public Service Commission on Thursday.

The Namibian learnt that Nama Goabab was suspended from his position to allow for investigations into allegations levelled against him. Following Goabab’s suspension, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, has asked the Director of General Services, Jakes Jakobs, to take over in an acting capacity.Goabab is the Secretary to the National Assembly and is out on bail pending a court case, where he and a senior member of Parliament’s accounting division, Abraham John George, face a High Court trial on three counts of corruption connected to the renting of vehicles at Government expense and the alleged unauthorised use of a Government-owned vehicle.While sources close to the National Assembly say there is no connection between the pending court case and the sudden call on Goabab to vacate his office on October 9, it is alleged he “could not carry out his duties,” a Member of Parliament told The Namibian yesterday.”Reasons were not made known and Goabab is apparently appealing against this decision,” said the MP, who wished to remain anonymous.Goabab confirmed the suspension to The Namibian and said that he will challenge the suspension through an appeal.He said he was presented with no evidence on the allegations levelled against him.Approached for comment, Jakobs said the Office of the Speaker sent out a written circular to staff on Friday, informing them that Goabab had vacated his office and that Jakobs would fill the gap in an acting capacity.”I had no conversation with the Speaker about this and only received the circular like all the other staff and thus found out I would serve as Secretary to the National Assembly in an acting capacity.I have done that several times, so it is not new to me,” he said.The Speaker is currently on a one-week trip to Geneva, Switzerland, to attend a meeting of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU).He is the only African candidate in the election of the next IPU president.Goabab became one of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s first high-profile targets when he and George were arrested on June 8 last year on a charge of contravening a section of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003.Goabab and George will face two of those charges jointly, while Goabab will face the third charge alone.The two charges that they are to face together are a charge of corruptly using their offices or positions for gratification, alternatively fraud, and another count of corruptly using their offices or positions for gratification, alternatively fraud or theft.Goabab will face a third charge of corruptly using his office or position for gratification, alternatively using a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent.That charge stems from an incident when Goabab was found using a Government vehicle on May 25 last year, allegedly without the necessary permission to use the car.In the indictment it is alleged that Goabab, as a member of the management cadre of the Public Service of Namibia, received a State car allowance.It is charged that Goabab and George created a false impression that the vehicle was for official use, while they knew it was being rented for their use.In the second charge it is alleged that the two had similarly rented a vehicle from Budget Rent-a-Car between March 15 and April 24 last year at a cost of N$18 497, and that a cheque of the National Assembly was used to pay for this rental while they knew the vehicle was used for private instead of official purposes.Following Goabab’s suspension, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, has asked the Director of General Services, Jakes Jakobs, to take over in an acting capacity.Goabab is the Secretary to the National Assembly and is out on bail pending a court case, where he and a senior member of Parliament’s accounting division, Abraham John George, face a High Court trial on three counts of corruption connected to the renting of vehicles at Government expense and the alleged unauthorised use of a Government-owned vehicle.While sources close to the National Assembly say there is no connection between the pending court case and the sudden call on Goabab to vacate his office on October 9, it is alleged he “could not carry out his duties,” a Member of Parliament told The Namibian yesterday.”Reasons were not made known and Goabab is apparently appealing against this decision,” said the MP, who wished to remain anonymous.Goabab confirmed the suspension to The Namibian and said that he will challenge the suspension through an appeal.He said he was presented with no evidence on the allegations levelled against him.Approached for comment, Jakobs said the Office of the Speaker sent out a written circular to staff on Friday, informing them that Goabab had vacated his office and that Jakobs would fill the gap in an acting capacity.”I had no conversation with the Speaker about this and only received the circular like all the other staff and thus found out I would serve as Secretary to the National Assembly in an acting capacity.I have done that several times, so it is not new to me,” he said.The Speaker is currently on a one-week trip to Geneva, Switzerland, to attend a meeting of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU).He is the only African candidate in the election of the next IPU president. Goabab became one of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s first high-profile targets when he and George were arrested on June 8 last year on a charge of contravening a section of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003.Goabab and George will face two of those charges jointly, while Goabab will face the third charge alone.The two charges that they are to face together are a charge of corruptly using their offices or positions for gratification, alternatively fraud, and another count of corruptly using their offices or positions for gratification, alternatively fraud or theft.Goabab will face a third charge of corruptly using his office or position for gratification, alternatively using a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent.That charge stems from an incident when Goabab was found using a Government vehicle on May 25 last year, allegedly without the necessary permission to use the car.In the indictment it is alleged that Goabab, as a member of the management cadre of the Public Service of Namibia, received a State car allowance.It is charged that Goabab and George created a false impression that the vehicle was for official use, while they knew it was being rented for their use.In the second charge it is alleged that the two had similarly rented a vehicle from Budget Rent-a-Car between March 15 and April 24 last year at a cost of N$18 497, and that a cheque of the National Assembly was used to pay for this rental while they knew the vehicle was used for private instead of official purposes.