The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has called for the removal of minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni following the arrest of Karasburg mayor Maria Veldskoen, the council’s management committee chairperson Franciskus Skeyer and acting chief executive officer Hansina Isaaks by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
They are all LPM members.
ACC director general Paulus Noa has, however, refuted allegations that the arrests were carried out on Uutoni’s instruction. “These are people who are a law unto themselves and have no regard for laws governing local authorities. We conducted our own investigation three weeks ago before arresting them. Therefore, our instructions cannot come from the minister. They contravened the Anti-Corruption Act,” said Noa.
Since the ACC raid on the Karasburg council last month, The Namibian has called, texted and sent WhatsApp messages to Uutoni regarding the allegations that he used the ACC to harass the town council, but received no response.
Questions were again sent this week to executive director Nghidinwa Daniel and the minister’s personal assistant, Asser Haradoeb, regarding the LPM calling for Uutoni’s removal. After the message was sent to Haradoeb, Uutoni responded by referring The Namibian to the ACC.
The ACC investigation came days after Uutoni wrote a letter to Veldskoen in which he directed her and the council to reverse a number of decisions and actions the minister termed “unprocedural”.
Uutoni’s letter also addressed the appointment of Isaaks from Keetmanshoop, as well as the appointment of Kallie Goliath as personal assistant to Veldskoen.
The personal assistant position was allegedly not provided for in council structures.
Uutoni also accused councillors of changing signatory powers of the council’s bank accounts, which he said is a direct violation of local authority councillors’ code of conduct.
LPM chairperson of the //Kharas Regional Council Joseph Isaacks on Wednesday claimed that Uutoni is in cahoots with Karasburg administrative staff to disregard instructions from councillors and that he protects staff members suspended for theft and mismanagement of public resources.
“Six months after our councillors took office, we suspected looting of council money of about N$10 million. An audit was done and the accountant, Mervin Amuporo, and then chief executive officer (CEO) Nico Titus were suspended.
“Uutoni came to us in June this year and demanded us to reinstate the suspended CEO after we laid administrative and criminal charges against the two, and the accountant is currently out on bail, while the minister delayed the process of charging the CEO and allowed his suspension period to collapse,” Isaacks said.
Titus said he initiated the financial audit when he came into office in 2019. He said the audit found that the former finance manager Amporo was involved as he was a signatory to council accounts and the alleged embezzlement was ongoing since 2016 and he joined the council in 2019.
“I was never involved in the embezzlement of funds. I was the one who initiated the audit and was then suspended to make way for the investigation as Amporo was reporting to me.
“But the LPM had an agenda to remove all CEOs appointed during Swapo’s time and they used this issue to squeeze me out … But Amporo’s case is still ongoing in the criminal court and when my suspension period lapsed they wouldn’t allow me back into my office,” Titus said.
“And the amount of N$10 million must be corrected, it was about N$2 million. I mean Karasburg is not big enough to garner N$10 million,” said Titus.Amporo was arrested in June 2022 and was charged with theft, fraud, organised crime and using office for personal gratification. He is out on bail and expected back in court on 1 November. Calls and messages to him went unanswered yesterday.
Noa denied that a case about the missing N$10 million had ever been reported to the ACC.
“We have never received any complaint lodged at the ACC of millions of dollars missing at Karasburg, therefore, we have never investigated such a matter to make a ruling. However, those who claim there are millions missing are free to bring their case,” he said.
Uutoni also failed to respond to WhatsApp messages sent between Monday and yesterday on this matter.
The chairperson of the //Kharas LPM Youth Command Element said party members will be holding a public protest today at Karasburg when the arrested trio are expected to return to court and launch a formal bail application.
They are charged with using the office or position for personal gratification and conspiring to commit crimes. They made their first appeared on Tuesday before magistrate Samingo Kasaone.
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