PDM considers legal action against August 26

WINDHOEK, 17 APR  – The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has threatened to take legal action should the Ombudsman, John Walters, not respond to their letter about August 26 by Friday.
PDM President McHenry Venaani made this comment here on Monday during his party’s ‘Real State of the Nation Address’.
The letter to Walters was according to the opposition leader written on 21 July last year.
Venaani said he has been requesting the defence ministry’s August 26 Holdings to submit financial reports to the National Assembly.
“We don’t want to know how many weapons they bought. All we want is for them to tell the nation how and on what they spend the taxpayers’ money.”
The parastatal, according to Venaani, has since its incorporation in 1998 not published and submitted audited financial reports to the National Assembly as required by law.
Various institutions, according to earlier reports, including the finance ministry, the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, opposition political parties, as well as ordinary citizens have publicly expressed concern over the lack of accountability and transparency at August 26 Holdings.
Venaani also said PDM is mobilising resources to legally challenge the case of about N. dollars 200 million that went missing through the SME Bank should his request to President Hage Geingob to establish a judicial enquiry in this matter not be met.
“This is what we as the PDM think would be the best approach to call the suspects to book as well as recover the money,” the opposition leader said, adding that it would however not be an easy task.
He called on business people to start supporting the opposition parties in the fight against corruption.
Responding to Venaani during his State of the Nation Address, Geingob said a judicial commission of enquiry to recover approximately N.dollars 200 million missing from the SME Bank, is a considerable option, if the ongoing liquidation process fails to yield any fruitful outcome.

NAMPA