By: Sheila Perestrelo
The anti-corruption commission (ACC) arrested a detective at the Swakopmund investigative unit for accepting a bribe from an accused father.
The detective was identified as 51-year-old Angula Kloepas Shea and was arrested on 24 August 2022.
According to ACC, Shea took a bribe from one of the suspect’s fathers, who was arrested for alleged theft of plant pots at a nursery in Swakopmund.
“It is alleged that detective Shea continuously solicited bribes in exchange to destroy the fingerprints, getting rid of the docket and subsequently convincing the complaint to withdraw the theft case,” said ACC’s public relations.
The detective appeared in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court on 25 August 2022, and his case was remanded to 17 October 2022.
In a statement on Monday, the ACC said it arrested four individuals for bribery this week in two separate cases.
At the same time, two men and a female were arrested on Wednesday after attempting to bribe a Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRa) by ACC.
NamRa, in a statement on Thursday, said one of the suspects approached a taxation officer and offered a bribe of N$49 000 to delete or reverse a taxpayer’s liability on the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS).
The suspects have been identified as 40-year-old Samora Haufiku, an employee of the finance ministry, Festus Alexander (41) and Taimi Iiyambo (36).
“It is alleged that Iiyambo owes an estimated amount of N$272 240 on VAT and needed someone to clear the outstanding balance,” said NamRa’s public relations department on Friday.
It is said that the ACC received a tip-off from a whistle-blower, which led to a sting operation with NamRa that led to the trio’s arrest.
The trio appeared in the Windhoek Magistrates Court on the same day of arrest on charges of contravening Sections 38 (b) and 46 (b) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2003.
They were granted N$5000 bail each, and the matter has been postponed to 28 October 2022 for further investigation.
Moreover, the cash intended to be paid to the NamRa official was seized.
NamRa says it has recently enhanced its investigative capacity after approving its compliance and enforcement strategy earlier this year.
This move is expected to strengthen NamRa’s position on zero tolerance for corruption involving taxpayers or staff.
In June, NamRa reported an arrest of two men, aged 51 and 33, for also bribing a NamRa official.
The alleged bribe followed after a foreign business owner in the northeast of the country was issued a tax liability of over N$8 million.
The business owner then submitted forged invoices to reduce the amount due to NamRa fraudulently.
In a statement issued by NamRa spokesperson Yarukekuuro Ndorokaze in June, the tax agency launched an audit to determine the authenticity of the submitted invoices before adjusting the outstanding tax debt.
“While the investigation was ongoing, the taxpayer requested to see the NamRA officials, at which occasion an offer was made to the officials in exchange for reversing the tax debt.”
NamRA officials then met the suspects to receive a N$100 000 bribe and subsequently arrested them as they handed the money to the NamRa official.
The two suspects appeared in court on corruption-related charges and fraud and forgery, stemming from the misrepresentations and submission of fictitious invoices to NamRa.
Ndorokaze also stated that further administrative and criminal proceedings would be pursued by NamRa, including applications to attach assets.
