RP slams ACC over Henties Bay ‘corruption’

THE President of the Republican Party (RP), Henk Mudge, has slammed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for the way it dealt with two Henties Bay councillors who were arrested on corruption charges earlier this month.

The Chairperson of the Henties Bay Council’s Management Committee, Lena //Hoëses, and Councillor Anna Hamutenya were arrested on allegations that they owed the Henties Bay Municipality N$1 772. The money was an advance to enable them to take part in the northern railway project, but they did not attend, apparently because one of them had a death in the family.They appeared in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court and the case was postponed till October 2.”What happened in Henties Bay was a sad day for the fight against corruption in Namibia,” Mudge said at the coastal town on Thursday.He alleged that the town’s Mayor, Paulus Imbamba, had used the ACC to settle a personal grievance.Mudge said the two accused councillors had on several occasions refused to give Imamba permission to use the council’s car.The party leader questioned why Imbamba had not been stripped of his position after several incidents of “drunken brawls” and “unbecoming behaviour”.He said the two councillors had arranged with the municipality to pay back the money by June 7, and the final instalment was paid on the morning of June 4.HENTIES cont.on p2 On the same evening, the two councillors were arrested at Omaruru where they were representing Henties Bay at a water workshop.Hamutenya showed The Namibian a municipal receipt as proof that the money had been repaid.According to Mudge, someone, presumably Imbamba, nevertheless convinced the ACC to investigate the case and arrest the councillors.”By having done what they did, the ACC has severely compromised the trust we have put in them to eradicate corruption,” Mudge said.He said the ACC, which was not supposed to give in to political pressure from even the highest level, was allegedly influenced by a low-ranking Swapo official.”And if these rumours are incorrect then still the ACC was used to perform an illegal act, and this is going to cost them dearly,” Mudge warned.The RP President said there were innumerable cases of high-profile corruption involving hundreds of millions of dollars that are happening in broad daylight, but nothing was being done about it.The Namibian contacted Imbamba for comment, but he was unable to speak because he was participating in a workshop in Windhoek.When The Namibian asked Mudge if his allegations against Imbamba held water, he replied: “Let him sue the party and force us so we can say what we know.”The money was an advance to enable them to take part in the northern railway project, but they did not attend, apparently because one of them had a death in the family.They appeared in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court and the case was postponed till October 2.”What happened in Henties Bay was a sad day for the fight against corruption in Namibia,” Mudge said at the coastal town on Thursday.He alleged that the town’s Mayor, Paulus Imbamba, had used the ACC to settle a personal grievance.Mudge said the two accused councillors had on several occasions refused to give Imamba permission to use the council’s car.The party leader questioned why Imbamba had not been stripped of his position after several incidents of “drunken brawls” and “unbecoming behaviour”.He said the two councillors had arranged with the municipality to pay back the money by June 7, and the final instalment was paid on the morning of June 4. HENTIES cont.on p2 On the same evening, the two councillors were arrested at Omaruru where they were representing Henties Bay at a water workshop.Hamutenya showed The Namibian a municipal receipt as proof that the money had been repaid.According to Mudge, someone, presumably Imbamba, nevertheless convinced the ACC to investigate the case and arrest the councillors.”By having done what they did, the ACC has severely compromised the trust we have put in them to eradicate corruption,” Mudge said.He said the ACC, which was not supposed to give in to political pressure from even the highest level, was allegedly influenced by a low-ranking Swapo official.”And if these rumours are incorrect then still the ACC was used to perform an illegal act, and this is going to cost them dearly,” Mudge warned.The RP President said there were innumerable cases of high-profile corruption involving hundreds of millions of dollars that are happening in broad daylight, but nothing was being done about it.The Namibian contacted Imbamba for comment, but he was unable to speak because he was participating in a workshop in Windhoek.When The Namibian asked Mudge if his allegations against Imbamba held water, he replied: “Let him sue the party and force us so we can say what we know.”