The unaccredited college and the alleged N$30m heist
Forged signatures at centre of fraud probe
Three women reportedly splashed out on personal luxuries with loan money allocated for a college – one of them is also under ACC investigation for previous alleged fraud.
Three women who are expected to appear in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court today on financial fraud and forgery charges allegedly spent a lion’s share of a N$30 million loan advanced to them through an unaccredited college on houses, apartments and cars.
The suspects, whose names cannot be disclosed before their court appearance, include a 53-year-old chief administrative officer from the fisheries ministry assigned to the department of fisheries administration.
She is allegedly a shareholder in Oranje Cultural Fishing (Pty) Ltd, the company that advanced the N$30 million to Lancaster Training Institute, a nursing school established in 2022.
It is not clear when the loan was paid to the institute.
The second suspect, a 30-year-old Windhoek-based nurse, reportedly became involved after she was appointed to establish the school due to her professional qualifications. The third suspect, a 34-year-old woman, is believed to have allegedly masterminded the entire scheme.
Unaccredited institution
Despite securing N$30 million in funding, Lancaster Training Institute is not accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA).
Jackson Muma, NQA’s communication officer, confirmed that the institution never applied for accreditation.
"[Lancaster Training Institute] is not accredited by NQA and we have not received any application for accreditation from them,” he said yesterday.
The NQA’s response raises concerns about how the institute was able to obtain such a substantial loan despite lacking the necessary credentials.
Namibian Sun has seen an acknowledgement of debt letter in which the nurse admitted that the institute borrowed money from Oranje Cultural Fishing at her special request.
The letter names Abisai Ndeunjema, the director of Oranje Cultural Fishing, as the representative who was involved in the loan discussions. Police are investigating how he authorised the transactions.
-Spending spree
Police investigations uncovered forged documents and signatures, leading to charges of forgery, fraud and violations under the Prevention of Organised Crime Amendment Act (POCA).
The 34-year-old suspect allegedly coerced the nurse into setting up Lancaster Training Institute, as she was the only one registered with the Nursing Council. However, instead of being allocated to the school, the loaned funds were diverted for personal use.
Investigations reveal that N$1.6 million was spent on a house in Hochland Park for the nurse.
Additionally, an unspecified amount was used to purchase a white Toyota Double Cab, which was seized by police in Windhoek as proceeds of the crime.
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old suspect reportedly used a portion of the funds to buy a house and a flat in northern Namibia.
‘Tender swindler’ resurfaces
The 34-year-old suspect is also under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for an unrelated case. She allegedly forged a ministry of health letter of award, using the signature of executive director Ben Nangombe, to falsely claim she won a N$259 million government contract. Dubbed the 'Tender Swindler' at the time, she allegedly used this fake contract to trick businesses into supplying her with goods and services.
Financial trail
Out of the N$30 million loaned, only N$4.3 million remains in the school’s FNB Money Maximiser account, with an additional N$500 000 in a cheque account.
A senior police official explained that the charges were formulated by Walvis Bay police, while officers in Windhoek executed the arrests.
The suspects, whose names cannot be disclosed before their court appearance, include a 53-year-old chief administrative officer from the fisheries ministry assigned to the department of fisheries administration.
She is allegedly a shareholder in Oranje Cultural Fishing (Pty) Ltd, the company that advanced the N$30 million to Lancaster Training Institute, a nursing school established in 2022.
It is not clear when the loan was paid to the institute.
The second suspect, a 30-year-old Windhoek-based nurse, reportedly became involved after she was appointed to establish the school due to her professional qualifications. The third suspect, a 34-year-old woman, is believed to have allegedly masterminded the entire scheme.
Unaccredited institution
Despite securing N$30 million in funding, Lancaster Training Institute is not accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA).
Jackson Muma, NQA’s communication officer, confirmed that the institution never applied for accreditation.
"[Lancaster Training Institute] is not accredited by NQA and we have not received any application for accreditation from them,” he said yesterday.
The NQA’s response raises concerns about how the institute was able to obtain such a substantial loan despite lacking the necessary credentials.
Namibian Sun has seen an acknowledgement of debt letter in which the nurse admitted that the institute borrowed money from Oranje Cultural Fishing at her special request.
The letter names Abisai Ndeunjema, the director of Oranje Cultural Fishing, as the representative who was involved in the loan discussions. Police are investigating how he authorised the transactions.
-Spending spree
Police investigations uncovered forged documents and signatures, leading to charges of forgery, fraud and violations under the Prevention of Organised Crime Amendment Act (POCA).
The 34-year-old suspect allegedly coerced the nurse into setting up Lancaster Training Institute, as she was the only one registered with the Nursing Council. However, instead of being allocated to the school, the loaned funds were diverted for personal use.
Investigations reveal that N$1.6 million was spent on a house in Hochland Park for the nurse.
Additionally, an unspecified amount was used to purchase a white Toyota Double Cab, which was seized by police in Windhoek as proceeds of the crime.
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old suspect reportedly used a portion of the funds to buy a house and a flat in northern Namibia.
‘Tender swindler’ resurfaces
The 34-year-old suspect is also under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for an unrelated case. She allegedly forged a ministry of health letter of award, using the signature of executive director Ben Nangombe, to falsely claim she won a N$259 million government contract. Dubbed the 'Tender Swindler' at the time, she allegedly used this fake contract to trick businesses into supplying her with goods and services.
Financial trail
Out of the N$30 million loaned, only N$4.3 million remains in the school’s FNB Money Maximiser account, with an additional N$500 000 in a cheque account.
A senior police official explained that the charges were formulated by Walvis Bay police, while officers in Windhoek executed the arrests.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article