Ester Mbathera
The former Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) chief executive officer Digu //Naobeb has come forward with new evidence disputing NTB’s claims of fraud and contractual irregularities in its dealings with Ghanaian tourism service provider Hype.UP Limited.
The allegations stem from NTB’s tourism promotion projects in Ghana in 2023, which included networking events and marketing activities aimed at boosting Namibia’s presence in the Ghanaian market.
In a letter dated 6 February, seen by Windhoek Observer addressed to the board chairperson Olavia Hamwele, //Naobeb argues that NTB’s allegations are unfounded and an attempt to shift blame from the board’s failure to fulfil its contractual obligations.
“NTB must own up and rectify it by negotiating with the other party for a favourable outcome,” he said.
Documents reviewed by Windhoek Observer also indicate that NTB knowingly engaged with Hype.UP under legally binding agreements and that services were indeed provided.
Last month, NTB dismissed fraud claims and allegations of unpaid contracts made by Hype.UP, calling them baseless. However, in December, the Ghanaian company filed a criminal charge with the Ghana Police Service, alleging fraud over US$51,123.92 (N$957,909.91) in unpaid contracts.
The charges were laid against both current and former NTB officials, including acting Chief Executive Officer Charmaine Mattheus, former acting CEO Bornventure Mbidzo, former CEO //Naobeb, board secretary Amanda Bruyns, board lawyer Johan Lombard, marketing committee chairperson Maggy Mbako, and procurement manager Ursula Nguvauva.
NTB’s current board launched an investigation into the matter last year and claimed to have found no supporting documentation, contracts, or agreements justifying Hype.UP’s payment demands. The board further alleged that attempts to clarify these discrepancies in meetings with the company were unsuccessful, raising concerns that the payments might have been part of a fraudulent scheme.
Windhoek Observer also learned that lawyer and businesswoman Rachel Nathaniel-Koch, who serves on the NTB board, led the initial investigation into the matter.
She declined to answer questions about her involvement in the investigations.
“Please contact the Corporate Communications Officer of NTB for any information regarding NTB,” she said.
In the surfaced documents //Naobeb said that NTB signed multiple contracts with Hype.UP, contrary to its claims that no valid agreements existed.
Email exchanges between NTB officials and Hype.UP, also seen by Windhoek Observer, confirm that NTB was aware of and approved the services provided in Ghana.
Several promotional events, media activations, and business networking activities took place, despite NTB’s claim that no services were delivered.
Among these events was the World Trade Centre Event, organized in April 2023 under the auspices of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO), the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), and the Namibian High Commission to Ghana.
The event was officiated by the Minister of Trade, Industrialisation and SME Development, Lucia Ipumbu, who led the Namibian delegation.
Other projects included the November in Namibia campaign, championed by the Namibia High Commission in Ghana, which facilitated networking opportunities for Namibian SMEs.
Additionally, there were inter-tourism trade fair attendances, media activation campaigns, and business networking follow-ups scheduled for April 2024.
//Naobeb is now challenging the NTB’s version of events, particularly regarding whether officials knowingly engaged with Hype.UP and later failed to settle payments.
“It is clear that NTB didn’t manage the contract until it expired at the end of February 2023. The Hype Up first notified NTB in November 2023 of how the two parties must proceed on these projects after I departed NTB and thereafter continuously,” he said.
He also questioned how the current NTB board began investigating the Ghana projects in July 2023, despite the fact that the board was only appointed in November of that year.
“The past board’s tenure of office was extended until the end of October 2023, as per available information in the public domain, as the line ministry failed to appoint the current board promptly despite being notified earlier in January 2023 that the past board office tenure ends at the end of July 2023. This borders on misinformation to the public that the current board purportedly started its investigation in July 2023,” he said.
//Naobeb also rejected NTB’s comparison of the Hype.UP matter to the controversial KORA Awards scandal.
“In my mind, I am very ethical and cannot be associated with any fraud,” he said.
//Naobeb demanded proof of corruption allegations against him and urged NTB to take accountability.
“Since this has gone public, I demand evidence of any corruption as being purported to remedy any false information being fed to the public to harm others and to protect the character of others, or else I will have no choice but to reserve my rights to seek justice through the legal system. If a mess was created, that should be stuff down my throat. NTB must own up and rectify it by negotiating with the other party for a favourable outcome,” he said.
The Windhoek Observer understands that the issue reached the highest levels of government.
During his state visit to Ghana in January for the presidential inauguration, President Nangolo Mbumba was reportedly made aware of the dispute.
Mbumba was accompanied by Minister of Tourism, Environment, and Forestry Pohamba Shifeta.
