Independent audit on books at Walvis

THE Auditor General will not lead an investigation into charges of financial mismanagement at the Walvis Bay Municipality.

A spokesperson for the municipality, Utaara Hoveka, told The Namibian yesterday that the report in Monday’s edition of an Afrikaans daily newspaper claiming that the Auditor General has taken charge of the investigation was inaccurate. After reviewing the documents supplied by the municipality, the Auditor General ordered that the matter be handled as a special investigation and not an actual audit, he said.The municipality decided that the inquiry would not be carried out by any auditing company previously appointed by the municipality.A completely independent auditing firm will be assigned to look into financial management procedures.According to Hoveka, seven companies have so far tendered for the job, none of which has ever been involved in an audit for the municipality.He said the selected firm would most likely be appointed this week.The investigation follows allegations of substantial arrears in municipal fees and the violation of the council’s credit-control policy.The claims led to the suspension last week of the Municipality’s CEO Gus Katiti, Financial Manager Muronga Haingura and a number of junior officials.Hoveka made it clear yesterday that Katiti was not suspended because of municipal fees allegedly owed by him or any of his relatives.After reviewing the documents supplied by the municipality, the Auditor General ordered that the matter be handled as a special investigation and not an actual audit, he said.The municipality decided that the inquiry would not be carried out by any auditing company previously appointed by the municipality.A completely independent auditing firm will be assigned to look into financial management procedures.According to Hoveka, seven companies have so far tendered for the job, none of which has ever been involved in an audit for the municipality.He said the selected firm would most likely be appointed this week.The investigation follows allegations of substantial arrears in municipal fees and the violation of the council’s credit-control policy.The claims led to the suspension last week of the Municipality’s CEO Gus Katiti, Financial Manager Muronga Haingura and a number of junior officials.Hoveka made it clear yesterday that Katiti was not suspended because of municipal fees allegedly owed by him or any of his relatives.