‘I am open for scrutiny’ – Fick

FORMER Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) financial director Peter Fick says his bank and telephone accounts are open for scrutiny after the recent 2007 Rugby World Cup ticket sale scandal.

Fick said this when he was grilled by some members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social and Community Development yesterday. He said the committee, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) and the Ministry of Sport are welcome to investigate his personal accounts after at least N$350 000 from the sale of Rugby World Cup (RWC) tickets was unaccounted for.Fick blew the whistle on NRU executive members whom he accused of dubious dealings by selling 2007 RWC tickets to a South African company at a 35 per cent mark-up above face value.In his presentation to the committee, Fick said after being appointed as a project manager for Namibia’s RWC campaign in 2006, a South African company known as M&L Promotions contacted him on the sale of the 2007 RWC tickets.He said he conveyed the message to the NRU executive, of which he was a member, and it was decided that a portion of the tickets allocated by the International Rugby Board (IRB) to the NRU should be sold at a 35 per cent mark-up.”The tickets were subsequently sold to M&L Promotions, which in any case was a breach of the terms of conditions as stipulated by the IRB,” he said.He said a total of N$3,2 million was allegedly paid to the NRU and only N$2,853 million was paid over to the IRB at the end of June.An excess payment of N$350 000 was received by the NRU, he said, but could not say where that money is at the moment.Fick was giving his version a few days after NRU president Dirk Conradie also testified in front of the same committee.Fick said he resigned from the NRU at the end of May after he decided not to have any further dealings with the ticket sales, as it was against his principles.”On August 2, I sent an e-mail to the IRB stating that the NRU was in the process of selling a portion of the allocated 2007 RWC tickets to a company in South Africa, which was against the rules of the IRB,” he said.He said a full investigation was launched by the IRB and Namibia was subsequently found guilty of contravening the rules of selling tickets.The IRB decided that Namibia would not be allocated tickets for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.Fick told the committee that in 2003, the NRU also sold tickets in dubious ways and each executive member was paid N$33 000 from the sales.Nothing has come of that case to date, he said.He said Conradie was “very conservative with the truth” in his statements to newspapers and the committee.”Conradie allege that I signed Terms and Conditions on behalf of the NRU for the ticket allocation, when he knows that the chief executive officer, Christo Alexander, is the only person authorised by him (Conradie) to sign such documents.Was this an oversight by Conradie?” he asked.Fick said the NRU executive, Conradie included, stated that they were unaware of anything to do with ticket sales.Conradie accused Fick of being the mastermind behind the ticket sales, which Fick denied.”I have never benefited personally from any deal with M&L Promotions,” he said.”I never said I was not involved in the ticket scandal, as I was.I however had the guts and the integrity to stand up and say enough is enough,” he stated.Committee member Clara Bohitile said she was still confused by the different versions given by Fick and Conradie at the hearing.She suggested that the matter be looked at further.Another committee member, Kala Gertze, proposed that an investigating team be appointed to further probe the matter.The ACC is currently probing the matter, but still has to pronounce itself on it.He said the committee, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) and the Ministry of Sport are welcome to investigate his personal accounts after at least N$350 000 from the sale of Rugby World Cup (RWC) tickets was unaccounted for.Fick blew the whistle on NRU executive members whom he accused of dubious dealings by selling 2007 RWC tickets to a South African company at a 35 per cent mark-up above face value.In his presentation to the committee, Fick said after being appointed as a project manager for Namibia’s RWC campaign in 2006, a South African company known as M&L Promotions contacted him on the sale of the 2007 RWC tickets.He said he conveyed the message to the NRU executive, of which he was a member, and it was decided that a portion of the tickets allocated by the International Rugby Board (IRB) to the NRU should be sold at a 35 per cent mark-up.”The tickets were subsequently sold to M&L Promotions, which in any case was a breach of the terms of conditions as stipulated by the IRB,” he said.He said a total of N$3,2 million was allegedly paid to the NRU and only N$2,853 million was paid over to the IRB at the end of June.An excess payment of N$350 000 was received by the NRU, he said, but could not say where that money is at the moment.Fick was giving his version a few days after NRU president Dirk Conradie also testified in front of the same committee.Fick said he resigned from the NRU at the end of May after he decided not to have any further dealings with the ticket sales, as it was against his principles.”On August 2, I sent an e-mail to the IRB stating that the NRU was in the process of selling a portion of the allocated 2007 RWC tickets to a company in South Africa, which was against the rules of the IRB,” he said.He said a full investigation was launched by the IRB and Namibia was subsequently found guilty of contravening the rules of selling tickets.The IRB decided that Namibia would not be allocated tickets for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.Fick told the committee that in 2003, the NRU also sold tickets in dubious ways and each executive member was paid N$33 000 from the sales.Nothing has come of that case to date, he said.He said Conradie was “very conservative with the truth” in his statements to newspapers and the committee.”Conradie allege that I signed Terms and Conditions on behalf of the NRU for the ticket allocation, when he knows that the chief executive officer, Christo Alexander, is the only person authorised by him (Conradie) to sign such documents.Was this an oversight by Conradie?” he asked.Fick said the NRU executive, Conradie included, stated that they were unaware of anything to do with ticket sales.Conradie accused Fick of being the mastermind behind the ticket sales, which Fick denied.”I have never benefited personally from any deal with M&L Promotions,” he said.”I never said I was not involved in the ticket scandal, as I was.I however had the guts and the integrity to stand up and say enough is enough,” he stated.Committee member Clara Bohitile said she was still confused by the different versions given by Fick and Conradie at the hearing.She suggested that the matter be looked at further.Another committee member, Kala Gertze, proposed that an investigating team be appointed to further probe the matter.The ACC is currently probing the matter, but still has to pronounce itself on it.