NGO official held over missing funds

A FORMER manager at Lironga Eparu, an organisation for people living with HIV and AIDS, is in Police custody after he was arrested in connection with the alleged theft of donor money.

Peter Itayi, a Zimbabwean national, was employed as programme co-ordinator at Lironga Eparu when around N$250 000 allegedly disappeared. He was arrested last Wednesday and charged with fraud.The case was postponed to August 30 for further investigation.The amount has not been officially confirmed.Carsten Norgaard, Regional Director of IBIS (WUS-Denmark), and a sponsor of Lironga Eparu, confirmed that they had been informed by the AIDS organisation that there was such a case.He added that the Police had been called in to investigate.”They said there was a possibility of fraud and the amount is unconfirmed,” Norgaard told The Namibian.Sources indicated that Itayi might spill some beans during the Police investigations, as he allegedly had no right to sign cheques.Some other senior Lironga Eparu staff members might be implicated, sources claimed.Lironga Eparu operates with donor funds from the likes of IBIS, the Global Fund and UNAIDS.The organisation’s senior officials were not available to comment.He was arrested last Wednesday and charged with fraud.The case was postponed to August 30 for further investigation.The amount has not been officially confirmed.Carsten Norgaard, Regional Director of IBIS (WUS-Denmark), and a sponsor of Lironga Eparu, confirmed that they had been informed by the AIDS organisation that there was such a case. He added that the Police had been called in to investigate.”They said there was a possibility of fraud and the amount is unconfirmed,” Norgaard told The Namibian.Sources indicated that Itayi might spill some beans during the Police investigations, as he allegedly had no right to sign cheques.Some other senior Lironga Eparu staff members might be implicated, sources claimed.Lironga Eparu operates with donor funds from the likes of IBIS, the Global Fund and UNAIDS.The organisation’s senior officials were not available to comment.