Telecom suspends 3 managers
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Telecom Namibia has suspended three of its managers who allegedly made 16 monthly payments amounting to N$12 million in a dubious contract entered into with Canocopy in 2013.
The contract, between Telecom Namibia and Canocopy (owned by Paratus Telecom), was signed in 2013.
Canocopy, in terms of the agreement, would offer Telecom Namibia printing facilities for 36 months.
Telecom’s chief financial officer, Robert Offner, its head of internal audit and risk management, Ben van der Merwe, and head of corporate governance, legal services and regulatory affairs, Jinah Buys, were suspended in connection with the contract.
“The Telecom Namibia executive management, while espousing the principle of the presumption of innocence, due to the seniority of the three executives and the seriousness of the matter under investigation, as well as in keeping with the provisions of the company’s disciplinary code, took a decision that it would be better for them to be suspended until the investigation is finalised,” said Telecom Namibia acting CEO Armando Perny Perny.
Papers filed in the High Court on 30 August show that Telecom Namibia paid Canocopy around N$4.8 million (N$299 000 per month) from March 2016 to June 2017, The Namibian reported.
Documents show that the contract was renewed for 16 more months on 9 March 2016, before Telecom Namibia realised last year that it was fraudulent.
The decision was based on a 2016 Telecom resolution that bore a forged signature of former managing director Frans Ndoroma, who retired in 2014.
Telecom Namibia is arguing in its court papers that Offner did not have powers to sign the contract with Canocopy since it exceeded the N$5 million limit set under the company's policies.
This contract, the parastatal said, was supposed to be advertised, and would need the signature of the managing director.
Telecom also claims that it overpaid Canocopy by N$70 000 per month under the fraudulent contract. The total amount overpaid by Telecom, documents show, is N$1.1 million.
Telecom Namibia has suspended three of its managers who allegedly made 16 monthly payments amounting to N$12 million in a dubious contract entered into with Canocopy in 2013.
The contract, between Telecom Namibia and Canocopy (owned by Paratus Telecom), was signed in 2013.
Canocopy, in terms of the agreement, would offer Telecom Namibia printing facilities for 36 months.
Telecom’s chief financial officer, Robert Offner, its head of internal audit and risk management, Ben van der Merwe, and head of corporate governance, legal services and regulatory affairs, Jinah Buys, were suspended in connection with the contract.
“The Telecom Namibia executive management, while espousing the principle of the presumption of innocence, due to the seniority of the three executives and the seriousness of the matter under investigation, as well as in keeping with the provisions of the company’s disciplinary code, took a decision that it would be better for them to be suspended until the investigation is finalised,” said Telecom Namibia acting CEO Armando Perny Perny.
Papers filed in the High Court on 30 August show that Telecom Namibia paid Canocopy around N$4.8 million (N$299 000 per month) from March 2016 to June 2017, The Namibian reported.
Documents show that the contract was renewed for 16 more months on 9 March 2016, before Telecom Namibia realised last year that it was fraudulent.
The decision was based on a 2016 Telecom resolution that bore a forged signature of former managing director Frans Ndoroma, who retired in 2014.
Telecom Namibia is arguing in its court papers that Offner did not have powers to sign the contract with Canocopy since it exceeded the N$5 million limit set under the company's policies.
This contract, the parastatal said, was supposed to be advertised, and would need the signature of the managing director.
Telecom also claims that it overpaid Canocopy by N$70 000 per month under the fraudulent contract. The total amount overpaid by Telecom, documents show, is N$1.1 million.
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