By: Kelvin Chiringa
Former ombudsman of the Republic of Namibia, Advocate John Walters, has said that chances are high that the office of the current ombudsman, Basilius Dyakugha, will not institute a probe into President Hage Geingob.
The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) brought an official complaint before the ombudsman last week in which they gave Dyakugha five days to probe Geingob’s involvement with the Phala-Phala-gate.
He is now set to pronounce himself this Tuesday at 10:00am.
“He (Dyakugha) will just call the media and say that the complaint does not fall in his mandate, we cannot investigate it and he will give you the reasons. But it would be unethical for me to pre-empt what he is going to say, but that is what I think he will say. My reasoning is that I will not call a press conference to say I will now proceed with the matter,” said Advocate Walters.
This is a scandal that has sucked in South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa in which Geingob has been accused by ex-South African spy boss, Arthur Frazer, of assisting in the concealment of criminal activities at farm Phala-Phala.
The scandal erupted after Frazer filed for criminal charges after he said that several Namibians robbed Ramaphosa of more than N$60 million before they got arrested, tortured and paid to be quiet.
Geingob is accused of assisting a South African operative to enter the country and arrest one of the alleged robbers who had crossed into Namibia.
But Advocate Walters said there is no case for Geingob to answer in the whole affair which has also seen him issuing a statement to extricate himself.
“You know we Africans believe, and we strongly believe that if there is smoke there is fire without going to investigate whether indeed there is a fire. That is exactly what is happening here. We just heard about the scope of the smoke and we are now saying well there is a big fire.”
“That President Geingob and Ramaphosa are in cahoots, let the investigations start (in SA), let it proceed then we wait for the outcome. I also question what wrong did President Geingob do? What wrong did he really do?”
“At this moment I cannot clearly see, I don’t know what is the content of the complaint which the party filed against President Geingob with the ombudsman. It is my gut feeling and I strongly believe I am right to say that there is no substance in any complaint against President Geingob,” he said.
He also said there was no reason whatsoever even for Geingob to issue a comprehensive statement explaining himself, saying the burden lay on those accusing him.
“That’s an allegation which somebody in South Africa made against him. Why must he justify himself against a bare allegation? In my opinion whether the proof is sufficient or not is irrelevant because nowhere is it required of him to satisfy public opinion with his version at this time,” said Walters.
In the meantime, the NEFF has said that it wants to test the efficiency of the office of the ombudsman by giving it this first task from the side of the party.
Geingob has denied any involvement in the concealing of crimes of torture and money laundering saying that those calling for his prosecution were rather absurd.
