Renthia Kaimbi
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has issued a formal summons to a member of the ministry of health and social services’ Bid Evaluation Committee, compelling the official to appear for questioning over allegations of widespread procurement manipulation, systemic supply chain fraud, and the theft of pharmaceutical medicines from state warehouses.
The summons, seen by the Windhoek Observer, demands that the committee member appear before ACC investigator Frans Ndjai on 18 August 2026 at the commission’s headquarters in Windhoek, where they will be questioned under oath and required to produce a range of sensitive internal documents.
The identity of the committee member is withheld to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
When contacted for comment, ACC’s spokesperson Marina Matundu declined to confirm or deny the existence of the summons, stating that the commission is not in a position to discuss individual cases.
“At this stage, we are not in a position to confirm or comment on any alleged summonses or individuals who may have been approached as part of ongoing processes,” Matundu said.
She cautioned that public discussion of such matters would be premature, adding, “It would be premature to make such matters public, as doing so could potentially compromise or interfere with ongoing investigations and related procedures.”
Matundu assured that any official communication regarding the probe would be released “through the appropriate channels at the appropriate time.”
The investigation targets activities between 2023 and 2025, focusing on the Central Medical Stores, the Procurement Management Unit, and the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council.
According to the summons, the official must identify all Bid Evaluation Committee members and attendees who participated in pharmaceutical and clinical procurement evaluations during that period, including those involved in emergency procurement processes.
Investigators are demanding the handover of all evaluation reports, scoring sheets, and adjudication records relating to the purchase of medicines and clinical supplies.
Of particular interest to the commission are the minutes of meetings, attendance registers, and decision records from committee deliberations concerning procurement activities.
The ACC also seeks tender specifications, amendments, and any communication records that might suggest tailoring of requirements or preferential engagement with specific suppliers.
Sources familiar with the investigation indicate that prosecutors are examining whether certain tender documents were written to favour pre-selected companies, effectively locking out competitors before bids were even advertised.
The summons further requests documentation relating to alleged procurement manipulation, including evidence of price inflation, post-approval quantity adjustments, and the abuse of emergency procurement approvals.
Emergency procurement has emerged as a major concern because it allows the ministry to bypass standard competitive bidding procedures under urgent circumstances, creating opportunities for inflated pricing and rapid payments without proper oversight.
Investigators are also seeking any records or knowledge relating to the alleged theft, diversion, or resale of pharmaceutical or clinical medicines from the Central Medical Stores or elsewhere within the national medical supply chain.
Whistleblower accounts previously submitted to the commission have described a pattern in which stock allegedly disappears from state warehouses, creating artificial shortages that then trigger costly emergency purchases.
In some instances, it is alleged that the same stolen goods are resold back to the government by unscrupulous suppliers, allowing corrupt actors to bill the state twice for the same products.
The Bid Evaluation Committee member is additionally required to depose to a sworn or affirmed statement regarding the furnishing of all requested information and documentation.
The ACC has broad powers under the Anti-Corruption Act of 2003 to compel testimony and the production of documents, and failure to comply with the summons is a criminal offence.
The commission has been under increasing public pressure to address long-standing allegations of corruption within the health ministry, which manages hundreds of millions of Namibian dollars in public funds annually for medicines and clinical supplies.
While the ministry of health and social services has previously stated its commitment to transparency, repeated audit findings have highlighted weaknesses in inventory management, procurement oversight, and contract monitoring.
Sources have noted that the commission may subsequently issue further summonses to other committee members or senior ministry officials as the investigation broadens.
The Windhoek Observer understands that the ACC is treating this matter as a high-priority investigation, given the direct threat that stolen or diverted medicines pose to patient care and public health outcomes across the country.
