Alweendo pours cold water over corruption allegations

Mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo has denied accusations that he helped a friend obtain an exclusive prospecting licence (EPL) for oil and gas.The claims - by activist and Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) member Michael Amushelelo - made the rounds on social media over the weekend.Alweendo’s friend reportedly owns Titan Oil and Gas. In a statement yesterday, the minister said Landless People’s Movement (LPM) parliamentarian Henny Seibeb also asked him questions on the matter in Parliament. "When I was preparing to respond, I did not know that the exact same allegations had also been made on social media platforms," Alweendo said. “I don&#039;t normally respond to content on social media platforms. Given the seriousness of the allegations, I decided to use the parliamentary platform," he said.Minimising riskAlweedo explained that “to minimise the risk of possible collusion between the minister and the Petroleum Commissioner, the ministry has set up a licence evaluation committee”. “This consists of civil servants from the ministry and is chaired by a commissioner. As an additional control measure, the committee passes on its recommendations to the minister via the executive director. "As minister, it is only then that I find out who the applicants are," he said. He explained that Titan Oil and Gas has a minority stake in two EPLs - 98 and 106. State-owned oil company Namcor also has a stake in these two licences. EPL98 was awarded in February 2021 to Eco Oil and Gas Services, a company registered in Namibia; while EPL106 was awarded in December 2022 to Oranto Petroleum, a company registered in Nigeria - and not to Titan as claimed."I sincerely thank those who have the courage to denounce corruption, especially when it is perpetrated by those in positions of power and influence," Alweendo said.“Let us all fight corruption in its various forms and avoid crony capitalism at all costs. But let us do so with integrity and honesty and not in a way that is tantamount to character assassination,” he added.

Alweendo pours cold water over corruption allegations

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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Alweendo pours cold water over corruption allegations

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-12

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