Official lives it up on Council cash at crisis workshop

A MONTH-LONG all-expenses-paid training workshop in Berlin and Bonn attended by Salmaan Jacobs, Chief Regional Officer of the Karas Region, has resulted in the Regional Council paying for N$49 020 in extra expenses.

Two claim forms, one for N$18 228 before he even left Namibia on the trip and the second for N$25 592,38, were leaked to The Namibian. Jacobs joined one other Namibian, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on a workshop between August 28 and September 22, sponsored by InWent, a German capacity-building organisation.Ursula Sekulla, project manager for the workshop, told The Namibian in an exclusive telephone interview from Bonn yesterday that the entire costs of the workshop – including transportation, full board accommodation, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with cultural events, local costs for transportation and insurance fees – were covered by InWent.In addition, on arrival in Germany, participants received 354 Euros (N$3 373) for pocket money, according to Sekulla.”If it is true Mr Jacobs really claimed (these expenses) from his Namibian authorities, that will have negative repercussions for future courses offered where Namibians are to participate,” Sekulla said.”It’s a lie,” Jacobs claimed when The Namibian contacted him about the charges.”These people (InWent) did not include certain costs as claimed in the invitation letter.”He claimed that some transportation was not included and only some meals were paid for by InWent.The month-long workshop was held to teach crisis prevention.”The pocket money we received was not enough to cover our expenses,” Jacobs said.He accused the reporter of witch-hunting.When Jacobs submitted his first claim for expenses, he asked for N$18 228 under Category Rate 3 for daily subsistence allowances.Rate 3 is only for telephone calls, laundry, airport tax and taxis.No receipts need be submitted with such a claim.His second submission was under Rate 2.These include expenses for meals and incidental fees.No receipts are required under this category either.In his second claim for expenses, Jacobs charged that the correspondence from InWent was “vague about payments for transport within and around town and in that country (Germany) on weekends and after hours to visit places of interest”.He also said, “The climate of the country is volatile and therefore appropriate clothing should be acquired during the month-long stay.”Karas Governor Dawid Boois yesterday denied having approved the expense claims.He said the Director of Finance Andrew Shileka or Director of General Services Saul Kahuika had approved the expense claims.”I am Jacobs’ overseer but I did not approve (these) claims,” Boois said.Jacobs claimed yesterday that the Chairman of the Management Committee of the Council, Governor Boois, had approved the claims.Jacobs joined one other Namibian, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on a workshop between August 28 and September 22, sponsored by InWent, a German capacity-building organisation.Ursula Sekulla, project manager for the workshop, told The Namibian in an exclusive telephone interview from Bonn yesterday that the entire costs of the workshop – including transportation, full board accommodation, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with cultural events, local costs for transportation and insurance fees – were covered by InWent.In addition, on arrival in Germany, participants received 354 Euros (N$3 373) for pocket money, according to Sekulla.”If it is true Mr Jacobs really claimed (these expenses) from his Namibian authorities, that will have negative repercussions for future courses offered where Namibians are to participate,” Sekulla said.”It’s a lie,” Jacobs claimed when The Namibian contacted him about the charges.”These people (InWent) did not include certain costs as claimed in the invitation letter.”He claimed that some transportation was not included and only some meals were paid for by InWent.The month-long workshop was held to teach crisis prevention.”The pocket money we received was not enough to cover our expenses,” Jacobs said.He accused the reporter of witch-hunting.When Jacobs submitted his first claim for expenses, he asked for N$18 228 under Category Rate 3 for daily subsistence allowances.Rate 3 is only for telephone calls, laundry, airport tax and taxis.No receipts need be submitted with such a claim.His second submission was under Rate 2.These include expenses for meals and incidental fees.No receipts are required under this category either.In his second claim for expenses, Jacobs charged that the correspondence from InWent was “vague about payments for transport within and around town and in that country (Germany) on weekends and after hours to visit places of interest”.He also said, “The climate of the country is volatile and therefore appropriate clothing should be acquired during the month-long stay.”Karas Governor Dawid Boois yesterday denied having approved the expense claims.He said the Director of Finance Andrew Shileka or Director of General Services Saul Kahuika had approved the expense claims.”I am Jacobs’ overseer but I did not approve (these) claims,” Boois said.Jacobs claimed yesterday that the Chairman of the Management Committee of the Council, Governor Boois, had approved the claims.