Khomas leads corruption complaints
ACC shares annual report
The majority of corruption complaints reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in the 2021-22 financial year are from the Khomas region.This according to the ACC's annual report for this financial year, which was tabled in Parliament last week, which singled out Khomas as the region where the most suspected corruption cases have been reported.
Of the 110 cases brought to the ACC's attention in this period, 57 were in the capital region. Another 22 cases were reported to the ACC office in the Erongo region, compared to 18 in Oshana and 13 in Otjozondjupa.
One encouraging highlight in the annual report is the ACC's increasing success in court cases over the last five years. From the previous financial year when four out of four completed court cases resulted in convictions, the ACC was able to improve this record to seven out of seven in the 2021-'22 financial year.
Before that, one case was concluded in 2017-18, with a guilty verdict, before the accused was acquitted in one of the ten cases in 2018-19. In 2019-20, the ACC only won five out of nine cases.
The report details cases currently under investigation, including alleged bribery involving officials from the Namibian Police (Nampol) in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Wanaheda, City Police officers in the capital as well as immigration officers.
The ACC is also continuing investigations into alleged corrupt practices in Omusati involving Nampol and the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture; two separate cases involving the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development; two cases at the Ministry of Works and Transport and three separate cases involving the Omuthiya Town Council.
Active investigations
The Namibian Arts Council (NACN); the state-owned New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC); the Tsumeb Municipality; Rehoboth's town council; members of Windhoek's city council; and the Zambezi and Erongo Regional Councils are also all linked to active investigations. The investigation into the appointment of a new chief executive at Fishcor also continues.
In one of the recommendations contained in the report, the ACC argues that corruption cases in court should be prioritised to get verdicts faster. Other recommendations are the amendment of the criminal procedure law to provide for plea negotiations and the introduction of a law to investigate unexplained wealth. The Anti-Corruption Act of 2003 is also being reviewed.
The ACC's Director General, Paulus Noa, said that institutions with supervisory responsibilities - such as the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts - must have the authority to impose fines on administrative heads who are guilty of repeated mismanagement and overspending of public money.
“The ACC has increasingly intensified its investigations to complete outstanding files. Many files are currently either awaiting trial in courts or with the Attorney General (AG), pending her decision,” he added.
According to the report, 36 dossiers were sent to the AG’s office over the relevant period, of which 20 were carried over from the previous year. Of these 36, 13 are currently before the court, three have been rejected, and a decision has yet to be made on 20.
Since the ACC was set up in 2006, 730 dossiers have been submitted to the AG, of which 74 are still awaiting a decision. Out of 311 cases that were settled in court, the ACC was able to obtain 184 convictions, with 127 cases that were temporarily withdrawn or in which the accused were acquitted. Five files were referred back to Nampol, 242 are still before the court, and 98 prosecutions were rejected. – [email protected]