Zorena Jantze
THE Namibian College for Open Learning (Namcol) has broken its silence on alleged fraud and theft of money at the institution after it was reported that an accountant at the college is facing disciplinary action after money amounting to N$305 770 went missing at the state-owned education institution.
The over N$300 000 discovered to be missing was determined through preliminary investigations and is a drastic decrease from the initial N$2.5 million reported to have gone missing.
The accused, Julia Imene, allegedly misappropriated unclaimed refunds belonging to students of the institution. Giving an update on the matter, Laimi Mbago, Public Relations Officer at Namcol, said that Namcol has also taken legal action to address the matter.
“A criminal case has been opened with the Namibian Police, which is evidence of NAMCOL’s commitment to upholding zero tolerance for theft, fraud, and corruption. We vehemently deny any allegation or insinuation of a cover-up. In the meantime, it is worth noting that the staff member implicated in the alleged wrongdoing has voluntarily resigned and signed an acknowledgement of debt, which paves the way for the recovery of the misappropriated funds,” Mbago said.
She further added that to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the investigation process, NAMCOL is planning to engage the services of external independent auditors, who will conduct a comprehensive review of the financial records and transactions related to the alleged incident.
“NAMCOL encourages individuals possessing relevant information to come forward and provide it to the appropriate authorities, including the Namibian Police or the Anti-Corruption Commission. Additionally, NAMCOL provides established channels, such as the internal Whistleblowing Procedure, through which individuals can report their concerns,” Mbago said.
The Public Relations Officer also noted that NAMCOL takes these allegations with the utmost seriousness they deserve and affirms its commitment to a zero-tolerance stance against theft, fraud, and corruption in any form. NAMCOL recognizes the importance of maintaining public trust and ensuring the responsible use of public funds dedicated to the advancement of education and training.
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