TransNamib probe widens

SOME of TransNamib’s top managers could be in hot water after the parastatal’s board of directors decided on a wide-ranging forensic audit to look beyond the activities of suspended Human Resources General Manager, Jason Hamunyela. The Namibian has it on good authority that an auditing firm has been called in to probe whether some top managers redirected company finances for their own gain.

The decision was taken after the board received a report from the Office of the Ombudsman in which concerns were raised about the abuse of company property, the activities of some staff outside the company and procedures followed in appointing some staff members. In addition to the findings of the Office of the Ombudsman, a string of letters and secret memos were e-mailed to TransNamib staff three months ago in which serious allegations of mismanagement and abuse of company resources were made against several members of the top management.The e-mails claimed that Hamunyela had used company property to conduct private consultancy work and that he had raised his own salary by 43 per cent.His invoices to the Roads Contractor Company for around N$22 000 for consultancy work were attached to the series of letters and documents.He did a survey for the RCC on the Chief Executive Officer’s salary package.The circulated document demanded that Hamunyela be charged with breach of trust, fraud and disobedience – the same charges that saw former security chief Cletius Sipapela fired.Among the senior staff whose activities will come under the microscope is Claus Jensen, Senior Manager Information Services.The e-mail letters claimed he received a kickback of N$120 750 from Siemens for awarding them a multi-million-dollar TransNamib contract.Jensen denied the allegations.According to him, the N$120 750 was money he “imported” from his brother-in-law in Germany as an advance for money to be received from his mother’s estate in Germany upon her death.The e-mails also questioned the personal activities of Marketing and Sales General Manager Brian Black and Chief Public Relations Officer Olivia Kanyemba-Usiku.Black is the owner of the Airport Lodge but said he withdrew, in 2002 already, from the day-to-day running of the lodge and declared his interest when he joined TransNamib.Kanyemba-Usiku owns an estate agency selling and renting properties but said she did not operate it during TransNamib work hours and thus did not contravene company policy.It is believed that the forensic audit will only be finalised next year and that the board will only act once they have all the information.In the meantime, Hamunyela remains on paid suspension.The Chairperson of the Board, Foibe Jacobs, said earlier that Hamunyela had been suspended to allow a smooth investigation.”He was in charge of a department.It is normal procedure to suspend someone to let people conduct an unhindered investigation.His suspension is the first of several legal procedures,” Jacobs said.She was unable to say how long the Board’s investigation would take.TransNamib fired two employees, Ben Serogwe, a security officer, and Angus Pym, in the information technology department, in connection with the e-mail letters.They have taken their cases to the Labour Court in Windhoek.In addition to the findings of the Office of the Ombudsman, a string of letters and secret memos were e-mailed to TransNamib staff three months ago in which serious allegations of mismanagement and abuse of company resources were made against several members of the top management. The e-mails claimed that Hamunyela had used company property to conduct private consultancy work and that he had raised his own salary by 43 per cent.His invoices to the Roads Contractor Company for around N$22 000 for consultancy work were attached to the series of letters and documents.He did a survey for the RCC on the Chief Executive Officer’s salary package.The circulated document demanded that Hamunyela be charged with breach of trust, fraud and disobedience – the same charges that saw former security chief Cletius Sipapela fired.Among the senior staff whose activities will come under the microscope is Claus Jensen, Senior Manager Information Services.The e-mail letters claimed he received a kickback of N$120 750 from Siemens for awarding them a multi-million-dollar TransNamib contract.Jensen denied the allegations.According to him, the N$120 750 was money he “imported” from his brother-in-law in Germany as an advance for money to be received from his mother’s estate in Germany upon her death.The e-mails also questioned the personal activities of Marketing and Sales General Manager Brian Black and Chief Public Relations Officer Olivia Kanyemba-Usiku.Black is the owner of the Airport Lodge but said he withdrew, in 2002 already, from the day-to-day running of the lodge and declared his interest when he joined TransNamib.Kanyemba-Usiku owns an estate agency selling and renting properties but said she did not operate it during TransNamib work hours and thus did not contravene company policy.It is believed that the forensic audit will only be finalised next year and that the board will only act once they have all the information.In the meantime, Hamunyela remains on paid suspension.The Chairperson of the Board, Foibe Jacobs, said earlier that Hamunyela had been suspended to allow a smooth investigation.”He was in charge of a department.It is normal procedure to suspend someone to let people conduct an unhindered investigation.His suspension is the first of several legal procedures,” Jacobs said.She was unable to say how long the Board’s investigation would take.TransNamib fired two employees, Ben Serogwe, a security officer, and Angus Pym, in the information technology department, in connection with the e-mail letters.They have taken their cases to the Labour Court in Windhoek.