Suspended August 26 Logistics managing director (MD) Salatiel Ntinda and finance manager Karel (Kallie) Nel are set to know their fate this week over their alleged roles in the disappearance of N$2,5 million from the military owned company.
Sources say the August 26 Logistics board has been advised to seek civil and criminal action against all those involved.
Disciplinary proceedings against Ntinda and Nel were wrapped up last week.
The two were suspended in June, after news broke that the company lost N$2,5 million in a questionable loan deal, which was allegedly transferred from the company’s accounts without board authorisation.
August 26 Logistics chairman Kelvin Thembikozi has confirmed the disciplinary hearings, but says he cannot divulge more information.
Deputy executive director of defence and veterans’ affairs Petrus Nathinge was removed from his position as chairperson of August 26 Logistics, after it was revealed that he was allegedly instrumental in the disappearance of the money.
Nathinge yesterday said the transaction was concluded above board, and all the relevant authorities with the clearance to be furnished with information about the transaction were notified.
He said he does not understand why the two officials are subjected to this process.
“If the transaction was not approved, why did they not terminate it? The records for approval are there in the company,” he said.
Ntinda and Nel are being charged over failing to protect the company’s interests and disclosing information, which was detrimental to the company, and making payments without board authorisation.
Thembikozi yesterday said the August 26 Logistics board has instructed its lawyers to recover the N$2,5 million from Penda Enterprises.
However, The Namibian has learnt that Nathinge, Ntinda and Nel, as well as the owners of Penda Enterprises, may be charged both criminally and civilly in the pursuit of the missing N$2,5 million.
August 26 Logistics has a history of controversial deals.
In 2013, The Namibian reported on a food tender pushing the catering budget to N$5 billion.
The company is 51% owned by the military, and the remaining 49% is mainly owned by private South African businesses.
TIMELINE
18 May – Penda enterprises approaches Petrus Nathinge for N$2,5 million for an arms deal the company allegedly has with a foreign government. The loan would be repaid by 31 July with 100% interest, meaning it promised to repay N$5 million to August 26 Logistics.
23 May – MD Salatiel Ntinda commits August 26 Logistics to a joint venture with Penda Enterprises, without board approval. The board was in the dark about the transaction, apart from chariperson Nathinge.
24 May – Ntinda gives finance manager Nel instructions to make the payment to Penda Enterprises. Ntinda gives such instructions via WhatsApp and provides a letter written by Nathinge to Ntinda, instructing that N$2,5 million be paid to Penda Enterprises. Nathinge’s letter allegedly stated that the transaction was a “classified objective”.
24 May – Nel and Ntinda make the payment, despite Nel still protesting that board approval was required. Nel was uncomfortable with the payment, because August 26 Logistics is governed by the Companies Act, despite it being 51% military owned.
Arms trading is also not part of the company’s objective, as it was purely started to assist in the logistics of catering and providing food to the Ministry of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs and military bases around the country.
Nel’s superiors, Ntinda and Nathinge, still insisted that the board of August 26 Logistics should not be notified as the transaction was of a secret nature.
24 May – Nel seeks general Fillemon Shafashike’s intervention. Shafashike is the chairman of August 26 Holdings. Both Nel and Shafashike fail to stop the money from being transferred to Penda Enterprises as the process was already initiated.
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