Namibia’s national carrier, Air Namibia, has sat for more than two years on a damning forensic audit report that accuses one of its top executives of fraud, dishonesty, accepting expensive gifts from a company doing business with the airline and violating Namibia’s anti-corruption laws.
Among other things the airline’s current marketing manager, Willem “Wimpie” van Vuuren, is alleged to have accepted a N$400,000 (R400,000) Rolex watch from a supplier.
The investigation, carried out by Deloitte & Touche on the instructions of Air Namibia, cost N$6-million (R6-million). It relates to Van Vuuren’s previous stint as head of Air Namibia’s operations in Germany.
The auditors advised Air Namibia to report their findings to Namibia’s Anti-Corruption Commission and make them available to the German authorities for investigation. It appears the recommendation was not acted on.
The airline has strongly defended Van Vuuren, insisting he is innocent of all the allegations and saying that the German police cleared him after an investigation.
The final Deloitte and Touche report, which The Namibian has seen, is dated April 2014. It accuses Van Vuuren of “accepting substantial business courtesies or gifts, either in cash or in kind, in connection with his employment”.
The auditors turn the spotlight on his relationship with the owners of GIC International Catering, a Frankfurt-based company that supplied meals and other services to Air Namibia.
They find that “he tolerated improper influence, bribery or unethical conduct by GIC and failed to immediately report such conduct; and/or failed to perform his duties with honesty and integrity”.
The report says that Van Vuuren received a N$400,000 watch from GIC, but when questioned about it, claimed it was worth N$46,000.
It adds that he “deceived and lied” about his dealings with the company when he was subjected to a polygraph test in January 2014….
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