Gurirab to sue over CIA rumours

THE Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, has threatened legal action against the outspoken Executive Director of the National Society of Human Rights, Phil ya Nangoloh, over implied suggestions that Gurirab has CIA links.

The battle lines were clearly drawn and even a mediation meeting that was facilitated by Misa Namibia between the two could not cool down tempers, with Gurirab stating that he had already decided to take the legal route. Yesterday’s meeting was held at Gurirab’s request.Allegations regarding Gurirab’s alleged association with the US spy agency, the CIA, were made in a series of “exposés” by Ya Nangoloh over former President Sam Nujoma’s links to the spook body that were published in the Windhoek Observer.Yesterday Gurirab, Ya Nangoloh and the Observer’s Editor-in-Chief, Hannes Smith, met at a meeting facilitated by the Chairperson of Misa Namibia, Christof Maletsky.Ya Nangoloh afterwards described the meeting as “cunningly and clearly intended to intimidate me and cow me into silence”.According to Ya Nangoloh, he unearthed a number of names during his research, including that of Gurirab, and all “these names have one thing in common in that they have at one time or another been associated with the CIA”.This suggestion has more than irked Gurirab, who told yesterday’s gathering that he has started finding “legal adjudication”.”I will not stop until I am fully satisfied and lies are exposed for what they are,” Gurirab hit back at Ya Nangoloh’s writings.Gurirab is only taking legal action against Ya Nangoloh and not the paper in which the exposés were published.Gurirab said he had “met or heard of hundreds of international secret agents and moles from different nations” during his time as a diplomat.”I suppose their oath and whatever instructions they have prohibit them from identifying themselves as members of CIA or any other sinister spy networks.Now, I hear some names supposedly linked to the CIA,” the Speaker explained his contacts or association with some of the individuals Ya Nangoloh identified as known CIA operatives.Gurirab is vehemently denying ever meeting in person or having communicated with a William Buckley Jr, described by Ya Nangoloh as a close friend and the “case officer” of the Speaker.”I, like so many others, know him (Buckley) as a pompous TV public intellectual and conservative ideologue.That’s all from me about Buckley,” Gurirab said.At yesterday’s meeting Ya Nangoloh said that Gurirab’s alleged CIA connection was just mentioned in passing and that his exposés were primarily aimed at Nujoma.Citing the writings of the author Professor Richard Cummings, Ya Nangoloh is adamant that he is in possession of documentary proof of contacts between Buckley and Gurirab.”All I have said in passing in my exposé about Dr Gurirab was fair comment based upon what others have already written as far back as 1985 about Dr Gurirab and CIA agents.Hence, Gurirab should not try to shoot the messenger,” Ya Nangoloh responded.Ya Nangoloh concludes that he is prepared to meet Gurirab on any platform of his choice, including a court of law.”I will not be intimidated by anyone.Nor will I be silenced by anyone in this country or even beyond, including by Dr Gurirab.”Yesterday’s meeting was held at Gurirab’s request.Allegations regarding Gurirab’s alleged association with the US spy agency, the CIA, were made in a series of “exposés” by Ya Nangoloh over former President Sam Nujoma’s links to the spook body that were published in the Windhoek Observer. Yesterday Gurirab, Ya Nangoloh and the Observer’s Editor-in-Chief, Hannes Smith, met at a meeting facilitated by the Chairperson of Misa Namibia, Christof Maletsky.Ya Nangoloh afterwards described the meeting as “cunningly and clearly intended to intimidate me and cow me into silence”.According to Ya Nangoloh, he unearthed a number of names during his research, including that of Gurirab, and all “these names have one thing in common in that they have at one time or another been associated with the CIA”.This suggestion has more than irked Gurirab, who told yesterday’s gathering that he has started finding “legal adjudication”.”I will not stop until I am fully satisfied and lies are exposed for what they are,” Gurirab hit back at Ya Nangoloh’s writings.Gurirab is only taking legal action against Ya Nangoloh and not the paper in which the exposés were published.Gurirab said he had “met or heard of hundreds of international secret agents and moles from different nations” during his time as a diplomat.”I suppose their oath and whatever instructions they have prohibit them from identifying themselves as members of CIA or any other sinister spy networks.Now, I hear some names supposedly linked to the CIA,” the Speaker explained his contacts or association with some of the individuals Ya Nangoloh identified as known CIA operatives.Gurirab is vehemently denying ever meeting in person or having communicated with a William Buckley Jr, described by Ya Nangoloh as a close friend and the “case officer” of the Speaker.”I, like so many others, know him (Buckley) as a pompous TV public intellectual and conservative ideologue.That’s all from me about Buckley,” Gurirab said.At yesterday’s meeting Ya Nangoloh said that Gurirab’s alleged CIA connection was just mentioned in passing and that his exposés were primarily aimed at Nujoma.Citing the writings of the author Professor Richard Cummings, Ya Nangoloh is adamant that he is in possession of documentary proof of contacts between Buckley and Gurirab.”All I have said in passing in my exposé about Dr Gurirab was fair comment based upon what others have already written as far back as 1985 about Dr Gurirab and CIA agents.Hence, Gurirab should not try to shoot the messenger,” Ya Nangoloh responded.Ya Nangoloh concludes that he is prepared to meet Gurirab on any platform of his choice, including a court of law.”I will not be intimidated by anyone.Nor will I be silenced by anyone in this country or even beyond, including by Dr Gurirab.”