Exonerated Tsumeb executive seeks N$1.3m legal fee reimbursement

Tsumeb municipality finance manager Karolina Damaseb is demanding nearly N$1.3 million payback from council, which she claims she spent in legal fees fighting charges of corruption, dishonesty, fraud and forgery, from which she was recently cleared.Her demands are outlined in a letter dated 16 January and addressed to Tsumeb acting CEO, Frans Enkali.“I am writing to formally request reimbursement for the legal cost incurred during the disciplinary proceedings initiated against me, in which I was found not guilty on 4 December 2024,” Damaseb wrote.“During the three and a half years, I was subjected to a disciplinary process concerning allegations of dishonesty, bribery, corruption, fraud, forgery and falsification, as well as gross negligence. To ensure I was properly represented and my rights were safeguarded, I engaged the services of advocate SS Makando Chambers. These services were necessary due to the complexity of the case and potential implications for my professional reputation and employment".She added: “The resulting legal fees over a period of three and a half years, totalling N$1 270 994, have placed a considerable financial burden on me...”.When contacted for comment this week, Tsumeb mayor Mathew Hangula, who confirmed that the matter was finalised, told Namibian Sun that council is yet to be presented with the report from the committee that spearheaded the disciplinary proceedings and therefore could not comment on the matter yet."I cannot share more details on it because the matter was finalised in December last year while we were on recess. The outcome of the investigation will be presented to the council, and we will deliberate on it,” Hangula said.Name clearedWhen contacted for comment, Damaseb declined to comment on her demand for reimbursement but said she is happy about the outcome of the investigation. She said while she feels vindicated, she was innocent all along.“I knew from day one I was innocent. So it was just to prove a point that because council decided to proceed with the matter, I was not going to resign and waited till the case is finalised and it is proven,” she said.Damaseb also said the past three years have been difficult, with some family members, colleagues and members of the community believing the accusations.She also said she could not apply for a new job because of the allegations against her. “The reputational damage is there. I can vividly recall how my colleagues and family were looking at me. So it is just best that my name is cleared,” she said.Events that led to suspensionDamaseb, who was the acting CEO at the time the investigation was launched, was suspended from the Tsumeb municipality in July 2021 after she instituted an investigation into two subordinates.The two employees were the town’s senior accountant, John Amutenya and property officer Gerson Kautondokwa.Damaseb investigated Amutenya and Kautondokwa following a recommendation by the auditor-general in the municipality’s 2018 audit report.Damaseb did not implement the recommendations when she received the audit report in 2018 when she was still the acting CEO; it was only in 2020 that she surprised council and she was informed to formulate the charges.In response, Amutenya and Kautondokwa made allegations against Damaseb, which ultimately led to her suspension and a three-year battle to clear her name.In 2023, Amutenya was dismissed after he was found guilty based on the evidence from the investigations that were carried out against him.Kautondokwa remains at work after he was found not guilty.kenya@nmh-hub.com.na

Exonerated Tsumeb executive seeks N$1.3m legal fee reimbursement

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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Exonerated Tsumeb executive seeks N$1.3m legal fee reimbursement

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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