Rehoboth 'sewerage squad' in court A former Rehoboth mayor and a senior manager at the Rehoboth Town Council (RTC) and two others have appeared in the town's magistrate court on charges of fraud.
George Dax and RTC public relations officer Jeffrey Kasupi, along with former building inspector and acting technical chief, Sands Witbeen and Marko Rittmann, a contractor who was responsible for the rehabilitation of the Block E sewerage system were arrested by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of corruption late on Thursday.
The foursome is charged for corruptly using their office or position for self-gratification while Kasupi, Witbeen and Rittmann face an additional charge for corruptly using a false document by an agent.
According to an ACC statement investigations into allegations of corruption started in 2010 in respect of the appointment of Radoruu Civil Works on a capital project to construct sewerage reticulation at Oanob Park and MK Gertze Extension 3 in Rehoboth to the tune of N$1 162 966.25.
Allegations included that the then mayor Dax and Kasupi allegedly used their positions and office to ensure that the tender was awarded on a single proposal of Radoruu, flouting the local tender board regulations, Local Authorities Act and RTC procurement policy, in order to favour Radoruu.
It was further alleged that Witbeen allegedly recommended a payment of N$105 000 for site establishment to Rittmann of Radoruu while he was allegedly aware that the site wasn't yet established at the time when the payment was made.
Meanwhile, Rittman is accused of allegedly only submitting a formal tender document with pricing a month after the work was allocated to him for a tender amount of N$2 766 960 while his initial proposal was projected on an amount of N$1 162 966.25. In addition, he allegedly presented a payment certificate that contained a falsification stating that he had established the site whilst this was in fact not done when the certificate was presented for payment.
The case has been postponed to 12 to 14 June 2017 for plea and trial while bail was set at N$20 000.
JEMIMA BEUKES
George Dax and RTC public relations officer Jeffrey Kasupi, along with former building inspector and acting technical chief, Sands Witbeen and Marko Rittmann, a contractor who was responsible for the rehabilitation of the Block E sewerage system were arrested by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of corruption late on Thursday.
The foursome is charged for corruptly using their office or position for self-gratification while Kasupi, Witbeen and Rittmann face an additional charge for corruptly using a false document by an agent.
According to an ACC statement investigations into allegations of corruption started in 2010 in respect of the appointment of Radoruu Civil Works on a capital project to construct sewerage reticulation at Oanob Park and MK Gertze Extension 3 in Rehoboth to the tune of N$1 162 966.25.
Allegations included that the then mayor Dax and Kasupi allegedly used their positions and office to ensure that the tender was awarded on a single proposal of Radoruu, flouting the local tender board regulations, Local Authorities Act and RTC procurement policy, in order to favour Radoruu.
It was further alleged that Witbeen allegedly recommended a payment of N$105 000 for site establishment to Rittmann of Radoruu while he was allegedly aware that the site wasn't yet established at the time when the payment was made.
Meanwhile, Rittman is accused of allegedly only submitting a formal tender document with pricing a month after the work was allocated to him for a tender amount of N$2 766 960 while his initial proposal was projected on an amount of N$1 162 966.25. In addition, he allegedly presented a payment certificate that contained a falsification stating that he had established the site whilst this was in fact not done when the certificate was presented for payment.
The case has been postponed to 12 to 14 June 2017 for plea and trial while bail was set at N$20 000.
JEMIMA BEUKES