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Unam tender corruption charges end in acquittal

A former top staff member of the University of Namibia (Unam) who was arrested on charges under the Anti-Corruption Act 10 years ago has been found not guilty after standing trial in the Windhoek Regional Court.

Boniface Mutumba, who was Unam’s pro vice chancellor for administration and finance before his arrest in September 2014 and a co-accused, Ruben Prinz, were found not guilty in a judgement delivered by Windhoek Regional Court magistrate Celma Amadhila on Monday.

Mutumba and Prinz stood trial on charges of corruptly using an office or position for gratification and corruptly using a false document.

They were found not guilty after defence lawyers Slysken Makando and Jefta Tjitemisa, representing Mutumba and Prinz, respectively, applied for their discharge following the conclusion of the state’s case in their trial.

The state alleged that Prinz and Mutumba corruptly used their positions as Unam staff members in November 2013 by recommending that a contract for the construction of a new hostel for students at the university’s Neudamm campus be awarded to the close corporation C and K Construction and Electrical at a cost of about N$16.2 million.

Prinz was Unam’s acting director for estate services at that time.

The state also alleged that C and K Construction and Electrical did not possess the technical or financial capacities a Unam tender committee was informed it had and that a technical consultant appointed by Unam did not recommend the close corporation as a preferred bidder for the construction of a hostel at Neudamm.

An architect recommended that a bid to construct the hostel at a cost of N$15.1 million should have been accepted by Unam, but the contract was instead awarded to C and K Construction and Electrical, whose tender price was about N$1.1 million more than the recommended tenderer’s.

Nine witnesses testified for the state during the trial which started in November 2023.

The court was informed that the Anti-Corruption Commission was asked to investigate the award of the contract after Unam received a complaint about alleged irregularities in the tender process.

The award of the contract was placed on hold after the university received a complaint about it.

Mutumba resigned as a staff member of Unam in April 2015, having been suspended from his post in June the previous year.

In written arguments filed at the court, Makando said the case against Mutumba arose from a suspicion and nothing else.

Tjitemisa argued that the state failed to prove there was a case against Prinz that required an answer from him.
Public prosecutor Emma Mayavero represented the state during the trial.

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