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Cornelius says she met RDP leader over telecoms ‘bribe’

RDP City of Windhoek councillor Brunhilde Cornelius said her party president Mike Kavekotora summoned her to his office in Windhoek regarding the controversial telecoms deal.

Cornelius sensationally said that Nicanor Ndjoze and the Windhoek city acting CEO Rekliff Kandjiriomuini offered her a N$5m bribe to stop talking about the telecoms deal the city is going into.

She also said that she went to Nelius Becker to report that there were people offering her a bribe.

“I went to the office of Nelius Becker and brought this matter to their attention and from there they assisted me. I worked with the police because this corruption,” she said.

In an exclusive interview with Eagle FM, Cornelius said that when she got to Kavekotora’s office, she found Nicanor Ndjoze at the office.

“I received a call from my president that he wanted to see me. I said I was preparing for am an urgent council meeting. Can we do this tomorrow and said he wanted to talk to me because it was urgent. My president told me the discussion he had with Ndjoze.

“I asked if Ndjoze can excuse us. I told my president than this what Ndjoze informed you is not a legitimate deal. I informed my president that the only deal I know is a corrupt deal. I told him that he must not entertain it,” she said.

Kavekotorasaid that he was aware of the 5G project as well as the fact that Huawei was going to be involved.

“We had a discussion with her, explaining why she’s going to object the 5G project on the basis of the fact that when the project was initially initiated it was put that it could support but Cornelius was not comfortable with Huawei being part and puzzle of the project,” he added.

Kavekotora said that Cornelius didn’t tell him anything about the bribery. “I only heard about the bribery when the allegations were on social media,” he said.

MoU

Cornelius said her argument is about the Memorandum of understanding (MoU) that did not go through public procurement procedures.

She also said the local authorities act does not allow the city to become a player in the telecommunications industry.

According to Cornelius, the council wanted to approve an MoU without following public procurement procedures. In considering an MoU they consider the money involved and what it entails and was supposed to be agreed on.

All this is supposed to go through procurement procedures.

She said the MoU was not signed at all because it was not approved in council by resolution. when it was served in council in April I read through and saw some loopholes of this that were it included.

She said the MoU was not signed at all, because it was not approved in council by a resolution.

“When I read the item, I saw some loopholes in the MoU of things that were not included,” she said, adding that it said that all matters not included would be included at a later stage.

On that basis, Cornelius said, she requested the council to defer the matter. Cornelius said that the local government makes provision for councillors to raise questions and motions.

“I wrote my motion in May where I raised all the issues for the transparency and things that I have picked up in the MoU that were not clear,” the councillor said.

She said as of today the MoU is not yet approved because of the motion she submitted.

“The MoU was supposed to include all the details, the amounts that will be involved, the parties that will be involved and the license that we received from CRAN, and many other issues,” she said

Cornelius said when she submitted the motion, the only feedback she received on the motion was a counter-motion to tell her that the motion has financial implications that’s why it cannot be answered.

Cornelius said the license issued to the municipality was a wrong license.

“In section 30 where it talks about services to a city, it does not make provision for a municipality to be involved in the communication industry,” she added.

“The management committee is made up of only Swapo councillors, I received the counter motion from specifically Emmanuel Paulus who is also a Swapo councillor,” Cornelius said.

Asked who would want to bribe her for keeping quiet when Swapo has the majority and could easily have drowned her motions, she said the other way could be paying bribes and kickbacks.

She said there are only 3 councillors from the opposition.

“This was not the first bribe. There were bribes paid even fishrot. They know why they are doing this. It is for us to be whistleblowers and to stop corruption.

Cornelius denied being offered a counter-offer by Paratus but she said the question of counter-offer of bribes must be asked to those who are trying to dirtify her name.

“I was not offered any bribe by anybody. Like I came and I spoke out and why is this person accusing not come out with proof instead of writing false declarations and false affidavits against me.”

Cornelius denied any relation between Paratus and her and that all councillors are familiar with the company because of a court between the city and the telecoms company.

She said Nicanor Ndjoze said he would not trust her any more.

“I want to make it clear that unfortunately, he is a family member of Rekliff Kandjiriomuini is a Swapo member and unfortunately his cousin. Between me and Ndzoze there were no hard feelings.”

 

 

 

 

Wonder Guchu

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