President extends Noa's tenure

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has extended the tenure of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Paulus Noa by two months to allow him to oversee the transition to the commission's incoming leadership.

The extension comes just as Noa was due to retire after serving as the ACC's first and only director general since the institution was established in 2006.

Confirming the development to Namibian Sun on Wednesday, Noa said he had already prepared to leave office when the Presidency informed him of its decision.

“Retirement has not started for me yet. I am still in office for another few months," he said.

"Just when I was to leave at 17:00, a letter came in from the president requesting that I stay on for two more months. This is to prepare a smooth transition with the new incoming DG,” he added.

The last-minute extension is intended to ensure an orderly handover to Financial Intelligence Centre director Bryan Eiseb, whose appointment as the ACC's next director general was approved by parliament last month.

Noa, now 62, was first appointed as the ACC's director general in 2006 and went on to serve for 20 years.

His initial retirement date was 31 July.

Since the ACC opened its doors, it has registered 7 503 complaints.

Of those, 3 459 were rejected because they were found to involve personal disputes, administrative matters or allegations falling outside the commission's mandate.

A further 4 044 cases were investigated.

In an interview with Namibian Sun last month, Noa said 2 812 investigations have been concluded, while 92 cases are currently awaiting decisions from the prosecutor general.

Confirmed

Presidential spokesperson Jonas Mbambo confirmed the development, saying Eiseb will assume office on 1 October while Noa will serve as acting director-general.

"This arrangement will enable him to conclude outstanding obligations relating to his previous role," Mbambo said.

“To ensure continuity in the leadership and operations of the commission during the two-month interim period, [Nandi-Ndaitwah] has appointed Mr Paulus Noa, the outgoing director-general, to serve as acting director-general," Mbambo said.

During Noa's tenure, the commission established specialised directorates for investigations, public education and corruption prevention, forensic investigations, intelligence and anti-money laundering.

Regional offices were also opened in Oshana, Otjozondjupa, Kavango East and Erongo.

This week, the ACC announced two major appointments: senior investigator Oberty Inambao as its acting head of investigation and Justine Kanyangela as its acting executive director.

Inambao first joined the ACC in 2009. He is a key figure in the ongoing Namcor-Enercon corruption case, having led investigations that led to mass arrests last year.

Eiseb is expected to inherit an organisation under increasing pressure to conclude high-profile investigations, including those linked to the Fishrot corruption scandal.