The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) has registered a criminal case with the police about 400 missing head of cattle, following a four-month-long internal investigation.
Meatco said this in a media statement on Monday.
According to the statement, the company opened the case due to serious irregularities in the management of the cattle that was uncovered at one of Meatco’s contracted feedlots during the internal investigation.
Meatco said the number of missing cattle could increase as forensic investigations continue.
“During the internal review and subsequent legal investigation, we have identified suspicious movements and discrepancies in cattle records, which resulted in a significant number of cattle missing. The investigation implicates actions attributed to the former acting chief executive officer Patrick Liebenberg, who currently holds the position of executive for livestock procurement and production,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Meatco and external auditors were misled, as the cattle were unlawfully moved within different feedlots in the guise of stocktaking, to conceal losses.
“We are fully cooperating with the Namibian Police and would provide them with documents and witness testimonies to support the ongoing investigation and subsequent prosecution,” the company stated.
Meatco suspended Liebenberg in July, when a report implicated him regarding the missing 400 head of cattle.
