Top Prisons officials arrested for fraud

ONE of the Deputy Commissioners of the Windhoek Central Prison, Joseph Peter Martin, as well as two other senior correctional officials, Leonard Okeyo Obego and Lodewyk Bartell, have been arrested for fraud in connection with missing millions from the Prison Wardens Fund.

Martin, aged 40 and who resides at number 12 Wydah Court in Windhoek, was released on bail of N$30 000 after a brief appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court last Monday. Martin, one of the top three officials at the Windhoek Central Prison, had spent the weekend in lock-up after being arrested the previous Friday, court records show.He had made a previous appearance in court in March last year on similar charges, all related to the alleged plundering of the so-called Prison Wardens’ Club Fund by a number of top Prisons officials.Also appearing with him were Kenyan citizen Obego, age 49, and residing at Doctors’ Flats 307 of the Windhoek State Hospital, as well as Bartell, age 36, of 2389 J.P.Andries Avenue, Khomasdal.All of them were charged with fraud, bribery and uttering, i.e.the issuing of false statements.It was not immediately clear whether Obego and Bartell had been released on bail, as only a receipt for Martin’s bail payment was recorded.All the suspects have had to hand in their passports, and may not contact any of the witnesses or interfere in any way with the investigation, according to the bail conditions.While the investigating officer could not be reached, Ombudsman John Walters confirmed that the case had initially been brought to his attention last year.All wardens contribute on monthly basis to the Prison Wardens’ Club Fund as a form of funeral and hardship insurance, but the Fund had become inexplicably depleted.Walters said when they started investigating, they realised even though the Fund had collected millions over the years in contributions, the responsible officials did not even have the most basic of accounting systems in place to account for how the money was being sent.”There were basically no books, so we handed it over to the (Police) Commercial Branch for criminal investigation because clearly there had been some fraud,” Walters, a former top state prosecutor, said late on Thursday.Other senior staff also appeared to be implicated, and further arrests could not be excluded, well-placed sources said over the weekend.None of the concerned officials could be reached for comment over the long weekend.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587Martin, one of the top three officials at the Windhoek Central Prison, had spent the weekend in lock-up after being arrested the previous Friday, court records show.He had made a previous appearance in court in March last year on similar charges, all related to the alleged plundering of the so-called Prison Wardens’ Club Fund by a number of top Prisons officials.Also appearing with him were Kenyan citizen Obego, age 49, and residing at Doctors’ Flats 307 of the Windhoek State Hospital, as well as Bartell, age 36, of 2389 J.P.Andries Avenue, Khomasdal.All of them were charged with fraud, bribery and uttering, i.e.the issuing of false statements.It was not immediately clear whether Obego and Bartell had been released on bail, as only a receipt for Martin’s bail payment was recorded.All the suspects have had to hand in their passports, and may not contact any of the witnesses or interfere in any way with the investigation, according to the bail conditions.While the investigating officer could not be reached, Ombudsman John Walters confirmed that the case had initially been brought to his attention last year.All wardens contribute on monthly basis to the Prison Wardens’ Club Fund as a form of funeral and hardship insurance, but the Fund had become inexplicably depleted.Walters said when they started investigating, they realised even though the Fund had collected millions over the years in contributions, the responsible officials did not even have the most basic of accounting systems in place to account for how the money was being sent.”There were basically no books, so we handed it over to the (Police) Commercial Branch for criminal investigation because clearly there had been some fraud,” Walters, a former top state prosecutor, said late on Thursday.Other senior staff also appeared to be implicated, and further arrests could not be excluded, well-placed sources said over the weekend.None of the concerned officials could be reached for comment over the long weekend. * John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587