PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba (pictured) yesterday suspended the chief of the Namibian Defence Force, Lieutenant General Martin Shalli, amidst allegations of kickbacks, as well as intense political speculation about the timing and motivation.The news is reported to have sent shockwaves through the rank and file of the NDF, especially the army.
The Namibian has it on good authority that Shalli is accused of allegedly having millions of dollars transferred to him, through a third party, by a Chinese company from whom the NDF bought equipment.
In a media statement, Presidential Affairs Minister Albert Kawana said the suspension followed serious allegations of irregularities which must be thoroughly investigated. He said Shallis suspension will facilitate an unhindered investigation.
Swapos Politburo was briefed on the move yesterday morning. Kawana also announced that Major General Peter Nambundunga, seen as a close ally of former President Sam Nujoma, will act as Chief of the NDF until the case is finalised.
The Allegations
Politically, the suspension has been greeted with scepticism in many quarters .
The allegations are believed to date back to the time Shalli spent in Zambia as Namibias High Commissioner.
Sources claimed that he kept in contact with some staff members at the High Commission after he was recalled by Pohamba in November 2006 to take over from Solomon Hawala, who retired.
Shalli is alleged to have used an account of a staff member at the High Commission and had millions of dollars transferred into that account. The staff member is then alleged to have passed on the money to Shalli who was in Namibia by then.
However, the Zambian Police and intelligence services are reported to have got wind that some-thing was amiss when they were tipped off about large sums allegedly flowing into an account of a rank and file embassy staff member and the person was questioned.
It is believed that the person spilled the beans during questioning, and was recently handed over to a special unit dealing with money laundering in the Namibian Police as well as the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Sources said Shalli explained that some US$250 000 was transferred to him from China from people who rented his house in Windhoek for a year.
I am not commenting. Its not the right thing to do, Shalli told The Namibian, when approached yesterday.
Sources said Prosecutor General Martha Imalwa recently visited China to, among others, finalise the investigation and that yesterdays statement from State House was just a formality.
The Namibian
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