Second suspect added to Munyama case

A SECOND accused has been added to the fraud case currently hanging over the head of former Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Director General Gerry Munyama.

Last Thursday, 42-year-old Theodor Engelbrecht of the company Khomas Engineering was arrested on the same charges as Munyama was two years ago. He made his first appearance before Magistrate Uaatjo Uanivi in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday.Engelbrecht was charged with counts of fraud, alternatively theft, forgery and uttering.He was granted bail of N$5 000 on condition that he hands over his travel documents to the Police officer investigating the case.Like Munyama, Engelbrecht will also be required to report to the Windhoek Police station every Wednesday afternoon, and may not leave the Windhoek district without informing the investigating officer.He has also been warned not to interfere with the Police investigation directly or indirectly.Engelbrecht will make his second appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, after which it is expected that he will join Munyama for his pre-trial hearing in the High Court on November 22.The Namibian has been unable to get comment from Engelbrecht on the situation.Sources within the NBC, including board chairperson Ponhele Ya France, said this week that they were unaware of the new developments in the Munyama case.Ya France said the corporation recently became suspicious of some of the dealings it had been involved in with Khomas Engineering, but added that they had not been the ones to add Engelbrecht to the Police’s wanted list.Sources have indicated though that Engelbrecht’s involvement relates to money allegedly transferred and then withdrawn from his bank account, and which is suspected to be linked to Munyama’s alleged corrupt transactions involving NBC money in 2005.Munyama was suspended and subsequently resigned from the NBC in November 2005.He faces two main charges of fraud and forgery, with alternative charges of theft in the first count.It is alleged that he untruthfully told a Standard Bank employee in Windhoek on May 17 2005 that he was entitled to open an ‘NBC Executive Account’, which he was to exclusively handle.He apparently claimed that this was in line with a resolution taken at a NBC Board meeting.He then allegedly deposited three cheques – for N$307 145, N$13 850 and N$25 000, into this account and then withdrew the money.The NBC alleges that it lost N$345 995,88 through these dealings.He made his first appearance before Magistrate Uaatjo Uanivi in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday.Engelbrecht was charged with counts of fraud, alternatively theft, forgery and uttering.He was granted bail of N$5 000 on condition that he hands over his travel documents to the Police officer investigating the case.Like Munyama, Engelbrecht will also be required to report to the Windhoek Police station every Wednesday afternoon, and may not leave the Windhoek district without informing the investigating officer.He has also been warned not to interfere with the Police investigation directly or indirectly.Engelbrecht will make his second appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, after which it is expected that he will join Munyama for his pre-trial hearing in the High Court on November 22.The Namibian has been unable to get comment from Engelbrecht on the situation. Sources within the NBC, including board chairperson Ponhele Ya France, said this week that they were unaware of the new developments in the Munyama case.Ya France said the corporation recently became suspicious of some of the dealings it had been involved in with Khomas Engineering, but added that they had not been the ones to add Engelbrecht to the Police’s wanted list.Sources have indicated though that Engelbrecht’s involvement relates to money allegedly transferred and then withdrawn from his bank account, and which is suspected to be linked to Munyama’s alleged corrupt transactions involving NBC money in 2005.Munyama was suspended and subsequently resigned from the NBC in November 2005.He faces two main charges of fraud and forgery, with alternative charges of theft in the first count.It is alleged that he untruthfully told a Standard Bank employee in Windhoek on May 17 2005 that he was entitled to open an ‘NBC Executive Account’, which he was to exclusively handle.He apparently claimed that this was in line with a resolution taken at a NBC Board meeting.He then allegedly deposited three cheques – for N$307 145, N$13 850 and N$25 000, into this account and then withdrew the money.The NBC alleges that it lost N$345 995,88 through these dealings.