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NO AUTHORITY: Namibia's Ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha says he cannot investigate the alleged involvement of President Hage Geingob in the Phala Phala saga because his office does not have the mandate to do so.
PHOTO: ELIZABETH JOSEPH
NO AUTHORITY: Namibia's Ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha says he cannot investigate the alleged involvement of President Hage Geingob in the Phala Phala saga because his office does not have the mandate to do so. PHOTO: ELIZABETH JOSEPH

Geingob’s ‘Farmgate’ saga not my baby - Ombudsman

ELIZABETH JOSEPH
Ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha says his office has no mandate to investigate allegations against President

Hage Geingob.

Speaking during a press conference yesterday, he said he dissected a complaint filed by the Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) regarding Geingob’s alleged involvement in the cover-up of a robbery at South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in 2020, but his office does not have the authority to investigate foreign matters, let alone a security breach by foreigners.

"My office does not have the power to investigate foreigners. In my opinion, the complaint submitted by NEFF on 8 June falls outside of my mandate.

“The words and concepts were in reference to violations of criminal law. Words such as 'money laundering’, 'connive with officials to conceal paper trail of foreign and local subjects' is not part of our jurisdiction," he said.

He added that although his office cannot investigate, they will refer NEFF to the appropriate office to do so.

Asked whether the basis of his office’s refusal to investigate was because of a lack of evidence or because the NEFF failed to express itself correctly, Dyakugha said he would rather have a private discussion with the party to discuss the way forward.

Following instructions

NEFF deputy president Kalimbo Iipumbu argued that Dyakugha did not respond in accordance with his office's main purpose.

"Your job was and is to see what transpired until suspects were arrested in Namibia. You [saying] that you cannot continue to investigate means that there is an instruction from the highest authority that is directing you to not investigate this case," he said.

Iipumbu further called the ombudsman's office "a duplicate of the Anti-Corruption Commission", adding that such an office is not needed in Namibia.

"Whoever will come after us to lodge a complaint with your office will waste their time. It is highlighted in our constitution that whoever is found violating it should be brought to book."

He said the party's members will deliberate and take further action.

Absurd

The Namibian presidency last week called the allegations against the president "absurd and unnecessary".

"There is absolutely no truth in the allegations that Geingob used his office improperly to assist president Ramaphosa."

An expose surfaced earlier this month, accusing Imanuwela David (37) of being the mastermind behind the Phala Phala robbery in early 2020 when N$65 million was allegedly stolen.

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 208.86/OZ UP +0.83% | Copper US$ 3.97/lb DOWN -0.0028 | Zinc US$ 2 445.40/T DOWN -0.45% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.07/BBP UP +0.79% | Platinum US$ 896.85/OZ UP +0.22% Sport results: Weather: Katima Mulilo: 19° | 37° Rundu: 17° | 33° Eenhana: 18° | 33° Oshakati: 20° | 31° Ruacana: 19° | 33° Tsumeb: 17° | 29° Otjiwarongo: 16° | 28° Omaruru: 18° | 31° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Gobabis: 17° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 19° Wind speed: 24km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 10:54, High tide: 04:57, Low Tide: 22:58, High tide: 17:16 Swakopmund: 15° | 17° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:55, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:14 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 10:52, High tide: 04:54, Low Tide: 22:56, High tide: 17:13 Rehoboth: 18° | 29° Mariental: 22° | 32° Keetmanshoop: 21° | 34° Aranos: 21° | 31° Lüderitz: 15° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 23° | 34° Oranjemund: 15° | 21° Luanda: 27° | 30° Gaborone: 20° | 32° Lubumbashi: 17° | 24° Mbabane: 15° | 23° Maseru: 12° | 28° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 17° | 29° Maputo: 20° | 28° Windhoek: 17° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 23° Durban: 21° | 25° Johannesburg: 18° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 32° Lusaka: 18° | 30° Harare: 15° | 31° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.99 | EUR to NAD 20.54 | CNY to NAD 2.63 | USD to NAD 19.05 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.39 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.74 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.8 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.23 | USD to DZD 134.13 | USD to AOA 832.63 | USD to BWP 13.71 | USD to EGP 47.35 | USD to KES 130.98 | USD to NGN 1415.13 | USD to ZAR 19.05 | USD to ZMW 24.97 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 73909.5 Up +0.41% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1516.02 Down -0.13% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 12981.98 Up +0.34% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 28224.37 Down -2.87% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 208.86/OZ UP +0.83% | Copper US$ 3.97/lb DOWN -0.0028 | Zinc US$ 2 445.40/T DOWN -0.45% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 87.07/BBP UP +0.79% | Platinum US$ 896.85/OZ UP +0.22%