WINDHOEKFAITH SANKWASA
Prosecutor-General Martha Imalwa found more questions than answers in two dockets submitted to her office by the Namibian Police about how the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) lost N$660 million in a questionable investment scheme.
Imalwa has consequently returned to docket to police inspector-general, Lieutenant Sebastian Ndeitunga, due to incompleteness.
Ndeitunga told Namibian Sun upon inquiry yesterday that Imalwa has returned the two dockets to the police with instructions for further details.
The dockets were submitted the prosecutor-general in October last year already, for her decision whether or not to prosecute those that are suspected to have deliberately siphoned the GIPF which availed the money through its defunct Development Capital Portfolio (DCP).
In the dockets, the police had urged Imalwa to prosecute certain individuals and companies involved in the suspected scam.
Several other recipients of the same funds were cleared after it was found that their dealings were not unscrupulous.
Ndeitunga conceded that the initial six month set deadline for the completion of the probe has been missed and heaped blame on the complexity and magnitude of the case as the cause of delay in prosecution.
He said the 12 police investigators, along with officials from the South African forensic audit firm Nexus, are now busy working on specific details requested of them by Imalwa who will then pronounce herself on the matter.
Ndeitunga added that some of the 200 witnesses interviewed have not been cooperative.
He was however confident that a bulk of the 600 000 documents studied by the forensic investigators and the police are now ready to be re-submitted to Imalwa.
“This investigation is complex due to the magnitude of the matter. The PG (Imalwa) returned the dockets after we had hoped that we had done a good job when we submitted them to her last year,” he said.
“This proved not to be the case but we are now working strictly and in detail of the instructions she sent back with dockets.”
“We plead for patience from the public and can tell them the re-investigations are at an advanced stage,” said Ndeitunga.
In 2012 police submitted dockets recommending the prosecution of Omina Investments, co-owned by prominent Windhoek High Court Judge Nate Ndauendapo, and Ongopolo Mining and Processing Company, for failure to repay back a combined amount N$82million.
According to information availed to Namibian Sun last year, Omina acquired N$12 million from the GIPF in 2001, as it sought to acquire a stake in diamond exploration company, Diaz Point Exploration, but the loan was written of as bad debt after Omina consistently failed to pay up.
At the time, Omina stakeholders were Namibia Mineworkers Investment Company - which was represented by prominent businessman Sackey Aipinge, Tjiuai Kangueehi, Jacob Haimbodi, Faniel Kisting - Omawe Investments, Ae//Gams Trust and Dammert & Hinda Inc.
The loan was issued to Aipinge, Kisting and Coen Wium, who were the directors of Omina, while GIPF had no representative on its board.
Investigations revealed that Omina could not repay GIPF as it failed to receive any investments in Diaz Point, which itself was liquidated in 2004 leading to the N$12 million loan being written off.
In 2001, Ongopolo received N$40 million from the GIPF and again returned to the fund two years later, in 2003, to claim a further N$30 million.
Ongopolo, a mining copper giant situated in Tsumeb in the Oshikoto Region, is said to have sold its shares to Weatherly International Plc after a heads of agreement was signed - backed by a guarantee by the Namibian government.
The Ongopolo shareholders were the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) business arm Labour Investment Holdings (LIH), Namibia Mineworkers Investment Company, Ongopolo Gold Trust, Ongopolo Silver Trust and Philco Two.
The two unions were representated by businessman Ranga Haikali, Peter Naholo and Jacob Nghifindaka, along with board members Andre Neethling, Hans Nolte, Andrew Thompson, Hans Louw and Phillip Ellis.