As the nation continues to ponder why the Police Inspector General opted to reshuffle prominent crime investigator, Nelius Berker, to forensics, Sebastian Ndeitunga said there was nothing sinister about the move.
Berker has become famous in leading the Fishrot investigations in which he has been influential in the arrest of the “big-fish”.
“The problem is that the society, many people in the society are just complaining or concerned about one reshuffle particularly that of Berker. But Berker is not the only one who has been reshuffled or transferred.
There are other senior officers, some were promoted, some were transferred and this is the policy of the force that the Inspector General within his mandate, he deploys members of the force where their services are most needed and that is what happened,” he said.
But to confine Berker in another department away from investigations is what has irked some sections of society who feel his competence is needed the most during a time the nation is dealing with the biggest corruption scandal in 30 years.
The Fish-rot saga has spanned borders and implicated high-profile government officials.
The deputy prosecutor general Ed Marondedze said more investigations will be made in countries like Zimbabwe.
“We shouldn’t undermine the integrity of the people of Namibia. Peace is peace but if people get tired things may get out of hand. So, it is better to keep the person that has started this case at the beginning until he finalises it. Moving him sounds like smoothing fishy coming up.
He must finish and then he can be promoted to another position. So far, we have confidence in Mr Berker,” said Kalimbo Ipumbu from the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters.
But Ndeitunga has said Berker has not been the key person in the Fishrot investigations ever since he moved to the police from the Anti-Corruption Commission.
“The problem is people do not know how the police conduct investigations visa vis the ACC. This case of Fishrot is investigated by the ACC. It is not a police case entirely but the dockets are not with the police but the ACC hence ACC investigators are prime.
Berker was the chief investigator at the ACC but when he came to the police he was dealing with general investigations in the country. I do not know why people are complaining that the case will not succeed because Berker was moved,” said Ndeitunga.
