A CASE of assault was opened against the acting chief executive officer of TransNamib, Eugenia Tjaronda.
The station commander of the Windhoek police station, Inspector James Nandapo, yesterday confirmed that the case was opened on Thursday last week.Nandapo said the case was still under investigation and that there had been no arrest.Tjaronda allegedly assaulted Ailly Hangula-Paulino, TransNamib’s spokesperson.Tjaronda denies that she assaulted Hangula-Paulino. Upon enquiry, she said: ‘Be advised that there was no physical altercation, as you put it. Contrary to the employee’s malicious claims, I did not touch a hair on her body.’She said a witness would testify to what exactly took place last Wednesday.According to Tjaronda, the human resources department was instructed at about 12h00 last Wednesday to suspend Hangula-Paulino ‘after her insubordinate, aggressive and disorderly behaviour in my office’.This, she said, happened after she had instructed the human resources department ‘to institute disciplinary action against the employee for other transgressions’.She added: ‘The internal disciplinary process must please be allowed to follow its course, as it serves no purpose to deal with this incident via the media.’About the criminal investigation against her, Tjaronda said: ‘Yes, unfortunately she [Hangula-Paulino] opened a police case on Thursday, alleging that I physically attacked her. However, I welcome the opportunity to prove my innocence in a court of law.’Hangula-Paulino did not want to say much yesterday. ‘I’m not going to be able to say anything on this issue.’According to her, she had not received a written notice of suspension yet.Shortly after the incident, Hangula-Paulino said: ‘Unfortunately, I had an incident with the acting CEO.’According to her, Tjaronda’s personal assistant, Elaine Claasen, ‘rescued’ her.Claasen refused to comment. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not mandated to talk to the media.’Festus Lameck, TransNamib’s board chairperson, yesterday said: ‘Everybody remains innocent until proven guilty.’He denied that Tjaronda had been suspended in connection with the incident.
