By Jeremiah Ndjoze
As the investigations into the legality of the handling of a Namcor tender for the recruitment of a dealer at its Hosea Kutako Service Station gains momentum, the parastatal has rope in the services of private investigators in order to expedite the process, Confidente has learned.
Sources close to the issue told this newspaper that the appointed private investigators ‘are making progress in examining the tender process, including how the decision was reached and who advised or influenced the outcome.’
Namcor spokesperson Utaara Hoveka confirmed that the internal is still ongoing and no action has been taken against the accused parties, pending conclusive findings into the matter. He further confirmed that the matter is being handled by external parties.
“The investigation is still ongoing. All I can say at this moment is that it is being handled by external parties and we are not privy to information on their progress at this moment,” Hoveka said.
The state-owned oil entity is engulfed in this controversy, allegedly, after a tender awarding letter was reportedly signed off without full due diligence, following what sources describe as misdirection from Namcor’s interim tender board. The matter has led to internal letters to the board chair and the potential for disciplinary action or suspension.
Confidente has been reliably informed that a member of Namcor’s interim tender board has reportedly been served with an internal HR letter and may face disciplinary hearings or suspension as part of the ensuing investigations.
Namcor spokesperson Hoveka acknowledged that the tender was not yet officially awarded and stated that the decision could be reversed once investigations are complete.
Meanwhile, a source close to the matter alleged that one of the bidding entities which operates two Namcor service stations in the coastal region and one Shell service station, has been enjoying favourable fuel credit facilities at the state-owned enterprise and questioned why a candidate who ranked second in the interview process was “handpicked” for the contract.
Others familiar with Namcor’s governance procedures say that even if a candidate had performed well in interviews, the absence of thorough due diligence can undermine the integrity of the tender process and may trigger internal remedial steps.
Confidente’s attempt to get further comment on the specifics of the allegations, the precise status of the investigations, and timelines for action from Namcor Acting Managing Director, Victoria Sibeya and Board Chairperson, Florentia Amuenje proved futile. Amuenje was attending a presentation and did not respond to texted questions on time. Sibeya was not reachable.
