NDC boss Aboobakar ‘resigns’

THE managing director of the Namibia Development Corporation (NDC) has quietly resigned from the parastatal, The Namibian has learnt.

The resignation apparently came into effect some weeks ago. Disciplinary charges were laid against Abdool Aboobakar for his role in signing off on the investment of millions of dollars with shady Botswana-based outfit, Great Triangle Investments.Aboobakar was dismissed in April following a disciplinary hearing related to a N$55 million investment linked to a dubious N$100 million deal made by the Offshore Development Corporation (ODC).The NDC money made up just over half of the N$100 million investment.Acting NDC Managing Director Wessels Nanuseb yesterday confirmed the resignation.However he noted that Aboobakar was sacked on April 8.”How can you resign when you are already dismissed,” he asked.”The lawyer of Mr Aboobakar sent a letter of resignation to NDC one day before the appeal ruling was made in May this year,” Nanuseb told The Namibian.Aboobakar had appealed against this dismissal together with NDC finance manager Addis Faul and won a partial victory.George Coleman, the lawyer who ruled on the appeal in May, found that the two should have been found guilty only on one of the five charges against them, not four as the disciplinary hearing had found.Coleman further suggested that the matter should be referred back to the original disciplinary panel to investigate and reconsider their recommended sanction of dismissal.Two months ago, the NDC sent a letter to the lawyer of Aboobakar and Faul, asking him to come up with suggestions on what sanctions should be imposed on the two men.In the letter, dated July 21, the NDC disciplinary panel asked lawyer Elias Shikongo to “make a presentation about sanctions to be imposed”.In layman’s terms this means that the two lawyers who defended the former NDC boss and his financial manager were being asked to inform the disciplinary tribunal – in less than 12 hours – why the two should not be fired, a legal expert told The Namibian.Shikongo sent a letter back stating he was only available from August 10.Since then no meeting has taken place.Addis Faul only had a temporary contract with the NDC.His “dismissal” was in fact only the non-renewal of his contract when it expired in April, a source close to the ODC informed this newspaper.”Mr Faul has repeatedly been coming into the NDC offices since April to help out with the finance department there,” the source said.The Anti-Corruption Commission has been assigned to investigate the shady investment.Disciplinary charges were laid against Abdool Aboobakar for his role in signing off on the investment of millions of dollars with shady Botswana-based outfit, Great Triangle Investments.Aboobakar was dismissed in April following a disciplinary hearing related to a N$55 million investment linked to a dubious N$100 million deal made by the Offshore Development Corporation (ODC).The NDC money made up just over half of the N$100 million investment.Acting NDC Managing Director Wessels Nanuseb yesterday confirmed the resignation.However he noted that Aboobakar was sacked on April 8.”How can you resign when you are already dismissed,” he asked.”The lawyer of Mr Aboobakar sent a letter of resignation to NDC one day before the appeal ruling was made in May this year,” Nanuseb told The Namibian.Aboobakar had appealed against this dismissal together with NDC finance manager Addis Faul and won a partial victory.George Coleman, the lawyer who ruled on the appeal in May, found that the two should have been found guilty only on one of the five charges against them, not four as the disciplinary hearing had found.Coleman further suggested that the matter should be referred back to the original disciplinary panel to investigate and reconsider their recommended sanction of dismissal.Two months ago, the NDC sent a letter to the lawyer of Aboobakar and Faul, asking him to come up with suggestions on what sanctions should be imposed on the two men.In the letter, dated July 21, the NDC disciplinary panel asked lawyer Elias Shikongo to “make a presentation about sanctions to be imposed”.In layman’s terms this means that the two lawyers who defended the former NDC boss and his financial manager were being asked to inform the disciplinary tribunal – in less than 12 hours – why the two should not be fired, a legal expert told The Namibian.Shikongo sent a letter back stating he was only available from August 10.Since then no meeting has taken place.Addis Faul only had a temporary contract with the NDC.His “dismissal” was in fact only the non-renewal of his contract when it expired in April, a source close to the ODC informed this newspaper.”Mr Faul has repeatedly been coming into the NDC offices since April to help out with the finance department there,” the source said.The Anti-Corruption Commission has been assigned to investigate the shady investment.