Imms told to pay back over N$1 m to donors

FORMER Namibian Football Association President Immanuel (‘Imms’) Namaseb has been ordered by the High Court to repay about N$1,2 million of donor funding to the Finnish Embassy.

Acting Judge Nate Ndauendapo gave a judgement of N$1 179 253 against Namaseb for money he failed to account for in connection with an HIV-AIDS and OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) project that his Multi Purpose Consultancy was supposed to set up in the Ohangwena Region. Interest of 20 per cent on the outstanding money, as well as the costs of the lawsuit, were awarded to the Finnish Embassy.Namaseb had filed an affidavit in which he claimed that he was only a project co-ordinator for the Multi Purpose Consultancy, that he did not owe N$1 179 253 to the Finnish Embassy and that the claim was a false one.The court however accepted Finnish Charge D’Affaires Seija Kinni-Huttenen’s sworn statement that Namaseb was simply trying to delay the matter.The legal wrangling, which was ruled on late last month, appeared to date back to late 2005, when rumours of alleged financial mismanagement at the project started emerging, sources familiar with the project said.Programme co-ordinator for the Finnish Embassy, Elise Heikkenen, yesterday confirmed they had conducted a forensic audit as a result of not receiving satisfactory financial reports on the Farmer Field & Life Schools project.It was based on a Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) model of teaching life and business skills to women-headed households and OVCs.The Farmer Field & Life Schools Project was to be run under the auspices of the Multi Purpose Consultancy.”Mr Namaseb came with very good recommendations from the FAO, with whom he had worked before, which is why we decided to support his project,” Heikkenen said.”But when we discovered there had been some serious mismanagement on the financial side of things, we took legal action.”These acts of mismanagement included a wild splurge on cars, inflated travel claims of up to N$15 per kilometre for a vehicle Namaseb bought with the Finnish aid, and the fact that he had used the Finish money to settle outstanding debts such as an overdue overdraft facility for another company he owned, Heikkenen confirmed.The Embassy had paid out N$1 470 840 to Namaseb as co-ordinator of the project, which was meant to be spent over six months.But Namaseb is alleged to have blown most of this within the space of two to three months, although some work did get done, Heikkenen said.In documents submitted to the court, it emerged that Namaseb had failed to account for the money, which was meant to go towards buying farm implements, training women and OVCs and deploying a foreign consultant to teach them business skills.Heikkenen said she had “no idea” whether they would be able to recover the N$1 179 253 from Namaseb.Namaseb’s cellphone yesterday appeared to have been switched off, and he could not be reached for comment.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587Interest of 20 per cent on the outstanding money, as well as the costs of the lawsuit, were awarded to the Finnish Embassy.Namaseb had filed an affidavit in which he claimed that he was only a project co-ordinator for the Multi Purpose Consultancy, that he did not owe N$1 179 253 to the Finnish Embassy and that the claim was a false one.The court however accepted Finnish Charge D’Affaires Seija Kinni-Huttenen’s sworn statement that Namaseb was simply trying to delay the matter.The legal wrangling, which was ruled on late last month, appeared to date back to late 2005, when rumours of alleged financial mismanagement at the project started emerging, sources familiar with the project said.Programme co-ordinator for the Finnish Embassy, Elise Heikkenen, yesterday confirmed they had conducted a forensic audit as a result of not receiving satisfactory financial reports on the Farmer Field & Life Schools project. It was based on a Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) model of teaching life and business skills to women-headed households and OVCs.The Farmer Field & Life Schools Project was to be run under the auspices of the Multi Purpose Consultancy.”Mr Namaseb came with very good recommendations from the FAO, with whom he had worked before, which is why we decided to support his project,” Heikkenen said.”But when we discovered there had been some serious mismanagement on the financial side of things, we took legal action.”These acts of mismanagement included a wild splurge on cars, inflated travel claims of up to N$15 per kilometre for a vehicle Namaseb bought with the Finnish aid, and the fact that he had used the Finish money to settle outstanding debts such as an overdue overdraft facility for another company he owned, Heikkenen confirmed.The Embassy had paid out N$1 470 840 to Namaseb as co-ordinator of the project, which was meant to be spent over six months.But Namaseb is alleged to have blown most of this within the space of two to three months, although some work did get done, Heikkenen said.In documents submitted to the court, it emerged that Namaseb had failed to account for the money, which was meant to go towards buying farm implements, training women and OVCs and deploying a foreign consultant to teach them business skills.Heikkenen said she had “no idea” whether they would be able to recover the N$1 179 253 from Namaseb.Namaseb’s cellphone yesterday appeared to have been switched off, and he could not be reached for comment.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587