ACC summons NAC boss …as airport company points to savings and improved performance

Staff Writer

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has summoned Namibia Airports Company (NAC) chief executive officer Bisey /Uirab to appear before the commission as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corrupt practices at the state-owned company.

The summons, issued on September 9, directed /Uirab to appear before authorised officer Matias Amadhila at the ACC headquarters in Windhoek on Monday.

However, being summoned by the ACC does not in itself constitute a finding of wrongdoing or guilt.

The summons is part of an investigative process through which the commission seeks information and documentation to establish the facts surrounding transactions and decisions at NAC.

According to the summons, the ACC sought information and documentation relating to several transactions and appointments at NAC, including the awarding of a tender for the renovation of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facility at Hosea Kutako International Airport.

The commission demanded the tender advertisement, evaluation and award documents, as well as requisitions, invoices, purchase orders and proof of payment linked to the project.

The summons also covered the appointment of Monalise Jacobs as head of internal audit.

The ACC requested the NAC to produce the approved organisational structure, advertisement of the position, applications received, interview scorecards and the interview panel’s recommendation, together with the board resolution approving the appointment and Jacobs’ employment contract.

Further documents have been requested concerning the appointment of the executive responsible for human resources under Patterson Grading E in 2021.

These included the advertisement, long and short lists, interview scorecards, the interview panel’s recommendation, the board resolution and employment contract.

The commission is also probing the appointment of the company secretary in 2022 and requested the advertisement for the position, interview scorecards, the panel’s recommendation, the board resolution and employment contract.

Another area under investigation is the disposal of 19 NAC vehicles.

The ACC requested board submissions, committee minutes and recommendations leading to the decision to dispose of the vehicles, as well as NAC insurance policies and renewal contracts.

It also requested invoices and proof of payment relating to the 19 vehicles for a period of 28 months.

The summons further required /Uirab to depose a statement under oath or affirmation regarding the production of the requested information and documentation.

The ACC stated that the information is required as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corrupt practices at the airports company.

However, the existence of an ACC investigation should not automatically be interpreted as an indication that the individuals or institution under scrutiny have committed an offence.

Investigations are intended to establish whether allegations are supported by evidence.

Additional reporting by the Windhoek Observer

Internal NAC documents seen by the Windhoek Observer provide further context to the matters identified in the ACC summons, with the records raising questions about procurement procedures, recruitment processes, employment arrangements and the disposal of company vehicles.

At the same time, the information obtained by the newspaper also points to explanations and circumstances that provide a different perspective to some of the issues raised.

In relation to the Hosea Kutako International Airport fire-fighting facility renovation tender, the documents reviewed by the Windhoek Observer contain records relating to the evaluation and eventual award of the contract to Brumar Construction CC.

The records indicate that questions arose during the procurement process over the contractor’s quoted price, which was subsequently confirmed before a re-evaluation and recommendation.

The documents also refer to concerns around payments made during the execution of the project and compliance with contractual terms governing advance payments.

The records further allege that some work remained incomplete and that NAC employees were subsequently used to complete the project.

The Windhoek Observer understands that the contract awarded to Brumar was valued at approximately N$827,000, while the contractor allegedly abandoned the project after receiving an estimated N$348,000 advance payment intended for construction materials and services.

However, an official close to the matter offered a counterpoint, saying that NAC ultimately avoided additional costs after the contractor abandoned the project.

According to the official, after materials valued at nearly N$98,000 were purchased following the advance payment and abandonment, NAC used its maintenance employees to complete the project at a lower cost than the original contract.

The circumstances surrounding the procurement process will ultimately be determined by the appropriate authorities.

On the appointment of Jacobs as head of internal audit, the internal records appear to raise questions about the recruitment process and the circumstances under which she was appointed and subsequently graded.

The documents state, among other things, that Jacobs had not applied for the advertised position, while also referring to the panel involved in the appointment, her subsequent remuneration and the grading of the position.

The records further contain information concerning her professional qualifications and a study-loan arrangement taken over by NAC when she joined the company.

An official familiar with the matter said there were records of Jacobs’ documents during an internal investigation into her appointment and questioned whether some documents could have been removed from her file.

“Her appointment is in limbo because only a few documents are available in her file. One can assume that someone maybe stole the rest to paint the narrative that she did not apply for the position,” the source said.

These details have not been independently verified by the Windhoek Observer and are presented as claims contained in internal documentation.

The appointment of Josephine Soroses, the executive responsible for human resources under Patterson Grading E, is similarly accompanied by records that appear to raise questions about compliance with NAC’s recruitment policy.

According to the records, her contract was extended during the period surrounding the recruitment process despite placing third on the shortlist, while other candidates were possibly not informed of the outcome of their applications.

The significance of these circumstances remains subject to the ACC’s investigation.

The 2022 appointment of company secretary Stallina Lambert is also addressed in the internal material.

The documents refer to the qualifications stipulated in the advertisement, the composition of the interview panel and the candidates shortlisted for the position.

They further raise questions about whether all shortlisted candidates met the stated requirements and about the remuneration eventually attached to the successful appointment.

The records indicate that Lambert was the second-ranked candidate considered for appointment after the recommended candidate allegedly declined the offer.

Documents obtained by the Windhoek Observer show that the recommended candidate was initially offered N$815,136, while the proposed salary notch was N$959,196. The candidate reportedly rejected the job offer after a later annual salary offer of N$913,519.

Lambert, whose proposed annual salary notch was between N$652,116 and N$724,572, later received the position at a salary offer of N$830,471.

The documents indicate that she did not meet the stated LLB qualification requirement at the time, having applied with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics Psychology.

A source argued that Lambert still received “less than what the recommended candidate was offered.”

The disposal of the 19 NAC vehicles is another area being examined by the ACC.

The internal documents refer to provisions governing the disposal or purchase of vehicles by employees or participants at the end of specified periods.

The records cite a 2012 policy providing for a declining purchase value over several years, including a 20% purchase price after four years, subject to applicable conditions.

But again, a source familiar with the matter disputed the suggestion that the vehicle disposal necessarily represented a loss to NAC.

“The company has been rescued from maintaining these vehicles or buying cars every four years. In fact, this helped the company to save millions of dollars,” the source told the Windhoek Observer.

The ACC’s request for board submissions, committee minutes, insurance records and payment documentation suggests that the commission is seeking to establish how the vehicles were disposed of and whether the relevant procedures and policies were followed.

NAC performance provides broader context

Whatever questions the ACC may ultimately establish, they should also be considered against the broader performance of NAC as an institution as previously stated by former board members.

NAC’s published financial and operational record shows significant progress in recent years.

The company reported a profit after tax of N$40.8 million for the 2023/24 financial year and received its third consecutive unqualified audit opinion.

In its 2024/25 results, NAC reported another unqualified audit opinion, its fourth consecutive one, while recording a profit after tax of N$9.47 million.

Revenue increased to N$458.8 million and passenger volumes reached approximately 1.1 million.

The company has also continued with infrastructure improvements, airport certification, route development and efforts to reduce operating costs.

NAC says its airports have secured relevant long-term certifications and that it has been pursuing new routes and additional airline services as part of its strategy to position Namibia as a regional aviation hub.

The company’s own historical reporting also records a period of institutional stabilisation and improved financial management following /Uirab’s appointment as substantive CEO in 2019.

This broader record does not preclude scrutiny. On the contrary, sources maintained that a public enterprise managing major national infrastructure must always be subject to rigorous oversight.

They said the ACC has a legitimate responsibility to investigate allegations of corruption wherever they arise.

They also said that the NAC, its board and management equally have a responsibility to provide the documentation and explanations required by the commission.

At the same time, they cautioned that allegations contained in an investigation should not become convictions in the court of public opinion before the evidence has been tested.

Another source stated that for /Uirab, the summons therefore represents an opportunity to account for decisions made under his leadership and to provide the documentation sought by the commission.

For NAC, the source said, it is an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of its governance systems and the integrity of the decisions taken by its board and management.

However, if wrongdoing is established, the appropriate action must follow.

But if the evidence shows that decisions were lawful, properly authorised and, in some cases, financially beneficial to NAC, that should be recognised with equal seriousness.

The Windhoek Observer understands that the requested documentation will form part of the information to be considered by the ACC as it continues its investigation.