Maltahöhe mess deepens
The Hardap governor has been accused of attempting to cover up alleged corrupt practices at the Maltahöhe Village Council.
The governor of the Hardap Region, Esme Isaack, in direct disregard of the findings and recommendations made by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), last Friday dispatched a team of regional councillors and instructed the Maltahöhe village councillors not to take action against two council employees.
The pretext of the regional council team's visit was to investigate a complaint made by council employee Geronino Tise against the newly appointed acting CEO, Marianna Pieters.
The governor's regional investigation team consisted of councillors Eduard Wambo of the Rehoboth Urban Constituency, Hercules Jantze of Daweb Constituency and Jan Jaarzhen of the Aranos Constituency.
Jaarzhen is allegedly a brother-in-law to one of the employees listed in the ACC report.
Tise allegedly complained about Pieters' bias towards him, accusing her of presenting false information to the ACC.
Pieters alerted the ACC about irregularities in the awarding of a council tender for the construction of the fire station at the village. The governor is, according to sources, acting against Pieters merely because she revealed information about Tise's alleged irregular activities to the anti-graft agency.
“Who is the governor trying to protect? The interest of the government and the Maltahöhe village community or the suspected fraudsters?” an elderly community member, who requested anonymity, wanted to know.
In the preliminary findings of its investigation into alleged corrupt practices in relation to the non-procedural awarding of work and payment of N$160 000 to the company Arcon for the construction of a fire station at the village, the ACC recommended disciplinary procedures against the CEO and electrician with immediate effect.
Tise allegedly, after the completion of the ACC investigation into the irregular awarding of a tender wherein he was implicated, wrote a letter of complaint to the regional council alleging bias by Pieters towards him.
This complaint was never forwarded to the Maltahöhe Village Council who is the appointing authority of the complainant and they allegedly heard it upon the arrival of the regional investigation team.
Order
Approached for comment, Isaack confirmed that she instructed the chairperson of the management committee of the Hardap Regional Council, Wambo, to investigate the complaint she received from Tise.
However, when asked whether she knew that Tise was found by ACC to have contravened provisions of the Tender Board Act and that the ACC had recommended disciplinary action against him, the governor denied that she received a report containing the ACC findings.
“I will not further make any comments. Don't ask me any questions. “What is this questioning all about?”
Councillor Elisabeth Visser emphasised that the complaint should have been forwarded through the council office and be dealt with through its grievance procedures.
“We only heard about the letter as the purpose of the regional team's visit when they arrived,” she said.
However, based on the said letter the governor instructed that the appointment of Pieters as acting CEO be withdrawn.
She allegedly suggested that an official of the Hardap Regional Council should act in that capacity.
Not giving up
The Maltahöhe Village Council, however, informed the visiting regional team that they are going ahead with the ACC recommended disciplinary action against Tise and the former acting CEO Otto Richards.
The two men, according to the findings of the ACC, violated the tender board procedures and personnel regulations.
Richards and Tise allegedly irregularly awarded the tender for the construction of a Fire Station at the village.
The Anti-Corruption Commission's investigation found that they received N$48 000 as kickbacks. Former councillor Markus Saal from the above amount allegedly received N$10 000 and was further promised livestock.
It is further alleged that the company, LN Perfect Builders paid Tise N$35 000 with which he is said to have purchased a Golf motor vehicle which is currently in his possession.
Meanwhile, the external hard drive of the Maltahöhe village council computer containing the financial records has reportedly been stolen.
The council has opened a case of theft.
FRED GOEIEMAN
The pretext of the regional council team's visit was to investigate a complaint made by council employee Geronino Tise against the newly appointed acting CEO, Marianna Pieters.
The governor's regional investigation team consisted of councillors Eduard Wambo of the Rehoboth Urban Constituency, Hercules Jantze of Daweb Constituency and Jan Jaarzhen of the Aranos Constituency.
Jaarzhen is allegedly a brother-in-law to one of the employees listed in the ACC report.
Tise allegedly complained about Pieters' bias towards him, accusing her of presenting false information to the ACC.
Pieters alerted the ACC about irregularities in the awarding of a council tender for the construction of the fire station at the village. The governor is, according to sources, acting against Pieters merely because she revealed information about Tise's alleged irregular activities to the anti-graft agency.
“Who is the governor trying to protect? The interest of the government and the Maltahöhe village community or the suspected fraudsters?” an elderly community member, who requested anonymity, wanted to know.
In the preliminary findings of its investigation into alleged corrupt practices in relation to the non-procedural awarding of work and payment of N$160 000 to the company Arcon for the construction of a fire station at the village, the ACC recommended disciplinary procedures against the CEO and electrician with immediate effect.
Tise allegedly, after the completion of the ACC investigation into the irregular awarding of a tender wherein he was implicated, wrote a letter of complaint to the regional council alleging bias by Pieters towards him.
This complaint was never forwarded to the Maltahöhe Village Council who is the appointing authority of the complainant and they allegedly heard it upon the arrival of the regional investigation team.
Order
Approached for comment, Isaack confirmed that she instructed the chairperson of the management committee of the Hardap Regional Council, Wambo, to investigate the complaint she received from Tise.
However, when asked whether she knew that Tise was found by ACC to have contravened provisions of the Tender Board Act and that the ACC had recommended disciplinary action against him, the governor denied that she received a report containing the ACC findings.
“I will not further make any comments. Don't ask me any questions. “What is this questioning all about?”
Councillor Elisabeth Visser emphasised that the complaint should have been forwarded through the council office and be dealt with through its grievance procedures.
“We only heard about the letter as the purpose of the regional team's visit when they arrived,” she said.
However, based on the said letter the governor instructed that the appointment of Pieters as acting CEO be withdrawn.
She allegedly suggested that an official of the Hardap Regional Council should act in that capacity.
Not giving up
The Maltahöhe Village Council, however, informed the visiting regional team that they are going ahead with the ACC recommended disciplinary action against Tise and the former acting CEO Otto Richards.
The two men, according to the findings of the ACC, violated the tender board procedures and personnel regulations.
Richards and Tise allegedly irregularly awarded the tender for the construction of a Fire Station at the village.
The Anti-Corruption Commission's investigation found that they received N$48 000 as kickbacks. Former councillor Markus Saal from the above amount allegedly received N$10 000 and was further promised livestock.
It is further alleged that the company, LN Perfect Builders paid Tise N$35 000 with which he is said to have purchased a Golf motor vehicle which is currently in his possession.
Meanwhile, the external hard drive of the Maltahöhe village council computer containing the financial records has reportedly been stolen.
The council has opened a case of theft.
FRED GOEIEMAN
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