NBC suspends personnel manager

THE Namibian Broadcasting Corporation’s Human Resource Manager, Teophilus Karipi, has been suspended.

Karipi was ordered to vacate his office yesterday by NBC Director General Bob Kandetu, who handed the long-serving employee a letter of suspension. Approached for comment, Karipi confirmed his suspension, adding that the reasons given relate to a letter of service termination written by him in 2003.He declined to divulge any further information.”I don’t want to discuss the merits of these allegations in public right now,” he told The Namibian.In September, a draft version of a forensic report into the affairs of the NBC between the years 2000 and 2005 fingered Karipi in a matter which is now in the hands of the NBC’s lawyers.According to the report, Karipi had arranged for his own as well as two other staff members’ resignation.They were then reinstated almost immediately.Karipi’s reason for authorising these resignations was allegedly to free up their pensions.This was done in 2003, during the NBC’s restructuring process, when many staff members were retrenched and many positions declared redundant.This information was shared with the Minister of Broadcasting and Information, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, during a presentation by independent auditors Grand Namibia, who compiled the forensic report, in September last year.The report was carried out at the request of the Auditor General’s office.”The auditors confirmed that two staff members have already received their pension, while one’s is yet to be verified,” the Minister was told during the presentation.The matter, the lawyers informed the Minister, had been taken up with the NBC’s lawyers.Asked about the likelihood of this being the reason for his suspension, Karipi replied: “It would appear so.””Of course, there’s a whole lot of explaining to do.This whole thing has been blown out of proportion and there’s a need to place things in the proper context.There are a lot of smear campaigns going on,” he charged.All attempts to reach NBC Director General Bob Kandetu for comment failed yesterday.NBC Board Chairperson Ponhele ya France was out of Windhoek yesterday and could also not comment.Approached for comment, Karipi confirmed his suspension, adding that the reasons given relate to a letter of service termination written by him in 2003.He declined to divulge any further information.”I don’t want to discuss the merits of these allegations in public right now,” he told The Namibian.In September, a draft version of a forensic report into the affairs of the NBC between the years 2000 and 2005 fingered Karipi in a matter which is now in the hands of the NBC’s lawyers. According to the report, Karipi had arranged for his own as well as two other staff members’ resignation.They were then reinstated almost immediately.Karipi’s reason for authorising these resignations was allegedly to free up their pensions. This was done in 2003, during the NBC’s restructuring process, when many staff members were retrenched and many positions declared redundant.This information was shared with the Minister of Broadcasting and Information, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, during a presentation by independent auditors Grand Namibia, who compiled the forensic report, in September last year.The report was carried out at the request of the Auditor General’s office.”The auditors confirmed that two staff members have already received their pension, while one’s is yet to be verified,” the Minister was told during the presentation.The matter, the lawyers informed the Minister, had been taken up with the NBC’s lawyers.Asked about the likelihood of this being the reason for his suspension, Karipi replied: “It would appear so.””Of course, there’s a whole lot of explaining to do.This whole thing has been blown out of proportion and there’s a need to place things in the proper context.There are a lot of smear campaigns going on,” he charged.All attempts to reach NBC Director General Bob Kandetu for comment failed yesterday.NBC Board Chairperson Ponhele ya France was out of Windhoek yesterday and could also not comment.