Southern discomfort as ACC gets to grips with Jacobs probe

AN Anti-Corruption Commission investigation into whether the Karas Regional Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Salmaan Jacobs, should face criminal charges for alleged embezzlement is said to be close to wrapping up.

The probe followed an exposé late last year in The Namibian on a month-long, all-expenses-paid training workshop attended by Jacobs, which resulted in the Regional Council paying for extra expenses of N$49 020. Jacobs allegedly submitted two subsistence and travel claims – one for N$18 228 before he left on the trip and the second for N$25 592,38 upon his return.The workshop was sponsored by InWent, a German capacity-building organisation.ACC Director Paulus Noa told The Namibian last week that information the ACC wanted from Inwent and the Permanent Secretary of Local Government had finally reached his office.He said an investigator would travel to Keetmanshoop soon to take sworn statements from Council officials and members of the Regional Council management committee, including Karas Governor Dawid Boois, to complete the investigation.Jacobs’s first claim of N$18 228 was submitted as a Rate 3 claim 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, which covers expenses for meals and incidental fees.No receipts are required for this category of claim either.In his second claim, 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.”Jacobs allegedly submitted two subsistence and travel claims – one for N$18 228 before he left on the trip and the second for N$25 592,38 upon his return.The workshop was sponsored by InWent, a German capacity-building organisation. ACC Director Paulus Noa told The Namibian last week that information the ACC wanted from Inwent and the Permanent Secretary of Local Government had finally reached his office.He said an investigator would travel to Keetmanshoop soon to take sworn statements from Council officials and members of the Regional Council management committee, including Karas Governor Dawid Boois, to complete the investigation.Jacobs’s first claim of N$18 228 was submitted as a Rate 3 claim 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, which covers expenses for meals and incidental fees.No receipts are required for this category of claim either.In his second claim, 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.”