Union accused of raiding farmworkers’ trust fund

THOUSANDS of dollars deposited into the Aussenkehr Farmworkers Trust account have allegedly gone missing at the hands of the Namibia Farmworkers’ Union (Nafwu).

In a complaint dated August 6 to the Anti-Corruption Commission, a copy of which The Namibian has seen, workers at the Aussenkehr Group of Companies called for an urgent investigation into the alleged improper use of the trust money. The employees claimed that Nafwu Secretary General Alfred Angula, who doubles as board of trustees chairman, had allegedly withdrawn N$216 000 from the account on three occasions in October 2005 without prior approval from other trustees.The alleged withdrawals were made at the Rosh Pinah branch of Standard Bank Namibia.Angula rubbished the claims when approached by The Namibian, saying that he was in Germany at the time.”Anyone printing an article carrying the allegations will face legal action,” he said.A trustee, who refused to be named, said the alleged unauthorised withdrawals were made after Angula in his capacity as board of trustees chairman had amended a signatory mandate at the bank.”None of the trustees representing the employees, nor the employers, co-signed for the unlawful withdrawals,” the trustee claimed.”No resolution approving the withdrawal was taken by the board of trustees either,” he added.To date Nafwu has been unable to provide the board of trustees with details of how the withdrawn money was spent, the trustee claimed.Before the alleged unauthorised withdrawal, Nafwu had approached the trustees with a request for a soft loan to buy shares in Capricorn Investment, The Namibian was reliably informed.The trustees approved the loan on condition that the shares be ceded to the Aussenkehr Farm Workers’ Trust, but the alleged unauthorised withdrawals were made before the approval was granted.According to the trustee, the trust fund has recovered 90 per cent of the missing money by withholding 50 per cent of the Nafwu membership contributions made by Aussenkehr workers.”Nafwu only complained about the withholding of the funds when it discovered it after a year, but since then no word has been mentioned until present,” the trustee claimed.ACC Director, Paulus Noa, yesterday acknowledged receipt of the complaint and said the case had been referred to the Namibian Police.”We referred the complaint on October 1 to the Namibian Police, since it does not fall under corrupt practices as stipulated in the Anti-Corruption Act,” Noa said.Police at Aussenkehr yesterday contacted one of the trustees, Taimi Kayemba, in connection with an investigation into the missing money, The Namibian was reliably informed.The aim of the trust fund was to address the social needs of the Aussenkehr community.The Aussenkehr Group of Companies contributes N$40 a month to the fund for each of its permanent employees.The employees claimed that Nafwu Secretary General Alfred Angula, who doubles as board of trustees chairman, had allegedly withdrawn N$216 000 from the account on three occasions in October 2005 without prior approval from other trustees.The alleged withdrawals were made at the Rosh Pinah branch of Standard Bank Namibia.Angula rubbished the claims when approached by The Namibian, saying that he was in Germany at the time.”Anyone printing an article carrying the allegations will face legal action,” he said.A trustee, who refused to be named, said the alleged unauthorised withdrawals were made after Angula in his capacity as board of trustees chairman had amended a signatory mandate at the bank.”None of the trustees representing the employees, nor the employers, co-signed for the unlawful withdrawals,” the trustee claimed.”No resolution approving the withdrawal was taken by the board of trustees either,” he added.To date Nafwu has been unable to provide the board of trustees with details of how the withdrawn money was spent, the trustee claimed.Before the alleged unauthorised withdrawal, Nafwu had approached the trustees with a request for a soft loan to buy shares in Capricorn Investment, The Namibian was reliably informed.The trustees approved the loan on condition that the shares be ceded to the Aussenkehr Farm Workers’ Trust, but the alleged unauthorised withdrawals were made before the approval was granted.According to the trustee, the trust fund has recovered 90 per cent of the missing money by withholding 50 per cent of the Nafwu membership contributions made by Aussenkehr workers.”Nafwu only complained about the withholding of the funds when it discovered it after a year, but since then no word has been mentioned until present,” the trustee claimed.ACC Director, Paulus Noa, yesterday acknowledged receipt of the complaint and said the case had been referred to the Namibian Police.”We referred the complaint on October 1 to the Namibian Police, since it does not fall under corrupt practices as stipulated in the Anti-Corruption Act,” Noa said.Police at Aussenkehr yesterday contacted one of the trustees, Taimi Kayemba, in connection with an investigation into the missing money, The Namibian was reliably informed.The aim of the trust fund was to address the social needs of the Aussenkehr community.The Aussenkehr Group of Companies contributes N$40 a month to the fund for each of its permanent employees.