Manager angered by farm-linked queries

ROADS Authority manager Peter Thiemann is not happy with the judicial commission of inquiry for forcing him to reveal that he and three German diplomats bought a farm through a Close Corporation (CC).

Thiemann could not contain his irritation with Legal Counsel for the inquiry, Otniel Podewiltz, who asked the parastatal’s veteran engineer to explain the origin and reason for several deposits of hundreds of thousands of dollars into his bank account. “I’m not a bank manager,” said Thiemann, when asked to explain a N$560 000 and N$400 000 deposit into his bank account.Thiemann is the parastatal’s Divisional Engineer for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation.He then reluctantly disclosed that in 2000 he bought a farm through Erfstuk CC, in which he has one per cent shares, 16 per cent each belong to three former German expatriates in Namibia and 51 per cent shares were owned by his nine-year-old daughter whose mother is a Namibian, Elize Kunamwene.”The tone of Mr Thiemann is unacceptable.You seemed very unco-operative [from] the moment you sat there,” said one of the commissioners, Sacky Shanghala.Thiemann interrupted, mumbling something about invasion of privacy.”I want to voice my concern.We have a camera here, the media and the impression is created that money has been flowing illegally”.Podewiltz and the commissioners insisted that the commission had to look into everything that appeared unusual, such as the movement of large amounts of money.Thiemann argued that he was being singled out, charging that none of the people who had testified so far had had their money matters laid bare.He said buying a 4×4 for the N$560 000 that cost his farm would not have raised similar interest.Thiemann said he received money from Germany that he had saved as part of the salary he received from the aid agency which sent him to Namibia in the early 1990s, and from investments on the stock markets.”I can repeat – there is no cent misappropriated in my division.I’m proud of my ethical standards and hope it [the division] is not being undermined by this information,” he said.”I’m not a bank manager,” said Thiemann, when asked to explain a N$560 000 and N$400 000 deposit into his bank account. Thiemann is the parastatal’s Divisional Engineer for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation. He then reluctantly disclosed that in 2000 he bought a farm through Erfstuk CC, in which he has one per cent shares, 16 per cent each belong to three former German expatriates in Namibia and 51 per cent shares were owned by his nine-year-old daughter whose mother is a Namibian, Elize Kunamwene. “The tone of Mr Thiemann is unacceptable. You seemed very unco-operative [from] the moment you sat there,” said one of the commissioners, Sacky Shanghala. Thiemann interrupted, mumbling something about invasion of privacy. “I want to voice my concern. We have a camera here, the media and the impression is created that money has been flowing illegally”. Podewiltz and the commissioners insisted that the commission had to look into everything that appeared unusual, such as the movement of large amounts of money. Thiemann argued that he was being singled out, charging that none of the people who had testified so far had had their money matters laid bare. He said buying a 4×4 for the N$560 000 that cost his farm would not have raised similar interest. Thiemann said he received money from Germany that he had saved as part of the salary he received from the aid agency which sent him to Namibia in the early 1990s, and from investments on the stock markets. “I can repeat – there is no cent misappropriated in my division. I’m proud of my ethical standards and hope it [the division] is not being undermined by this information,” he said.