Police take a beating over spending

UNAUTHORISED expenditure of close to N$54 million, outstanding subsistence and travel (S&T) advances of N$7,4 million, and computer problems, which prevented it from recording outstanding revenue, saw Ministry of Safety and Security officials hauled over the coals yesterday.

A public hearing in Windhoek on the Ministry’s financial affairs more closely resembled a school scolding session, as top Ministry officials sat in front of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts, like pupils summoned to the principal’s office. The hearing, which lasted around an hour, was ordered to get answers from the Ministry on its Audit Report by the Auditor General for the 2004-2005 financial year.In their defence, Police officials cited the need to recruit more officers, and that Police officers were expected to travel with Ministers and the President on foreign visits.”Some ministries seem to go beyond their vote year after year.If it happens once one could understand that there may have been special reasons.But for this to happen continuously?” committee Chairperson Johan de Waal told Permanent Secretary Peter Mwatile, Financial Advisor Trephine Kamati and Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga.Mwatile said the huge overspending had, in part, been necessitated by the recruitment of 500 new Police officers during that year.These recruits had been enlisted to replace staff losses incurred by the force, either through death, retirement or dismissals.”Unfortunately the Force recruited more members than the losses,” a Ministry report completed before the hearing states.These recruits, as well as the transfer of a number of Special Field Force members to the Police, had not been budgeted for, it states.”We however admit the unauthorised expenditure in this regard which is as a result of technical mistakes from our part,” it continues.These mistakes had been addressed, the Ministry claims, and decisions with budgetary implications were now discussed with the Permanent Secretary before being implemented.’WE’RE COMING RIGHT …’ The Ministry also admitted that at the time of the Auditor General’s report, no measures were in place to make sure that Police officers submitted their travel claims promptly.”The system was weak and had no strict control over Police members.Therefore members were not submitting their advance claims upon return from missions,” the Ministry said.It assured the committee that control measures had since been introduced, and that, as a result, N$3,3 million of the outstanding N$7,4 million has been recovered.Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga brought to the committee’s attention that the VIP Protection Division was one of the biggest drains of the Ministry’s resources.Police officers were expected to travel with Ministers and the President on foreign visits, but these visits were not planned or budgeted for by his Ministry, Ndeitunga said.”If the Head of State decides to travel, who has the power to say don’t send Police officers to safeguard him?” the Police chief said.”I can’t say, ‘Comrade Minister, I only have two million [dollars] so please only stay for two days’.He’s already planned his visit,” he said.The committee promised to make a note of this last point, saying that in this case the VIP Protection Division should either be allocated more money in the national Budget, or be ordered to stop some of its work.The PS was criticised by many members of the committee for the weak systems at the Ministry, as well as for the recurring nature of many of the problems, which had been reported in previous years.”When you’re appointed as CEO of a company or PS of a Ministry, as many responsibilities as you might have, your number one responsibility is resource management,” committee member McHenry Venaani said in response to Mwatile’s statement that he had not properly studied the Auditor General’s report because of the number of other responsibilities he had.”It’s not good when they (permanent secretaries) end up in front of us here that they show they don’t take their responsibilities seriously,” Venaani said.The hearing, which lasted around an hour, was ordered to get answers from the Ministry on its Audit Report by the Auditor General for the 2004-2005 financial year.In their defence, Police officials cited the need to recruit more officers, and that Police officers were expected to travel with Ministers and the President on foreign visits. “Some ministries seem to go beyond their vote year after year.If it happens once one could understand that there may have been special reasons.But for this to happen continuously?” committee Chairperson Johan de Waal told Permanent Secretary Peter Mwatile, Financial Advisor Trephine Kamati and Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga.Mwatile said the huge overspending had, in part, been necessitated by the recruitment of 500 new Police officers during that year.These recruits had been enlisted to replace staff losses incurred by the force, either through death, retirement or dismissals.”Unfortunately the Force recruited more members than the losses,” a Ministry report completed before the hearing states.These recruits, as well as the transfer of a number of Special Field Force members to the Police, had not been budgeted for, it states.”We however admit the unauthorised expenditure in this regard which is as a result of technical mistakes from our part,” it continues.These mistakes had been addressed, the Ministry claims, and decisions with budgetary implications were now discussed with the Permanent Secretary before being implemented. ‘WE’RE COMING RIGHT …’ The Ministry also admitted that at the time of the Auditor General’s report, no measures were in place to make sure that Police officers submitted their travel claims promptly.”The system was weak and had no strict control over Police members.Therefore members were not submitting their advance claims upon return from missions,” the Ministry said.It assured the committee that control measures had since been introduced, and that, as a result, N$3,3 million of the outstanding N$7,4 million has been recovered.Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga brought to the committee’s attention that the VIP Protection Division was one of the biggest drains of the Ministry’s resources.Police officers were expected to travel with Ministers and the President on foreign visits, but these visits were not planned or budgeted for by his Ministry, Ndeitunga said.”If the Head of State decides to travel, who has the power to say don’t send Police officers to safeguard him?” the Police chief said.”I can’t say, ‘Comrade Minister, I only have two million [dollars] so please only stay for two days’.He’s already planned his visit,” he said.The committee promised to make a note of this last point, saying that in this case the VIP Protection Division should either be allocated more money in the national Budget, or be ordered to stop some of its work.The PS was criticised by many members of the committee for the weak systems at the Ministry, as well as for the recurring nature of many of the problems, which had been reported in previous years.”When you’re appointed as CEO of a company or PS of a Ministry, as many responsibilities as you might have, your number one responsibility is resource management,” committee member McHenry Venaani said in response to Mwatile’s statement that he had not properly studied the Auditor General’s report because of the number of other responsibilities he had.”It’s not good when they (permanent secretaries) end up in front of us here that they show they don’t take their responsibilities seriously,” Venaani said.