Venaani demands release of August 26 audit report
Warns of legal action
PDM leader McHenry Venaani says the Namibian public deserves to know how millions of taxpayer dollars are spent within the August 26 Holding Company.
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani says the Office of the Auditor-General (AG) should release its completed forensic audit of the military company, August 26.
He warned that failure to do so would result in legal action.
This follows repeated demands by Venaani for the release of the audit report into the activities of August 26, who has, since 2018, demanded that the audit reports of the defence company be made public.
“The Honourable Venaani has it on good authority that the forensic audit of August 26 has been completed, and the documents are in the possession of the auditor-general’s office. Consequently, Honourable Venaani urges the auditor-general's office to publish this report within one month, by 11 April 2024,” Venaani said of the audit report.
According to Venaani, should the deadline pass without the public release of the audit report, he will be left with no choice but to approach the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the undue delay in sharing this critical information with the Namibian people.
“The Namibian public deserves to be informed about how millions of taxpayer dollars are spent within the August 26 Holding Company,” he said.
Calls ignored
In a letter to auditor-general Junias Kandjeke last year, Venaani said his requests for audit reports into the affairs of August 26 have never received a response.
“I have, since 2018, made numerous calls to have the company’s books audited, including a call to the Ombudsman’s office to render a legal opinion on the legality of auditing the defence company. To date, these calls fell on deaf ears,” Venaani said.
Venaani criticised the lack of accountability by August 26 and its subsidiaries, who are recipients of multimillion-dollar government contracts, which he said "undermines the values and transparency we stand for as a democratic country."
No transparency
He said the company should be audited like any other public enterprise that relies on taxpayers’ money.
In 2020, former Ombudsman John Walters recommended to the National Assembly and Cabinet that August 26 lay bare its financial statements for public scrutiny. Walters’s suggestions remain just that – a mere recommendation.
During the 2018/19 financial year, Kandjeke was blocked from inspecting N$506.4 million of the defence ministry's expenditure during that financial year. This despite the law providing the AG access to all books of a given government entity.
He warned that failure to do so would result in legal action.
This follows repeated demands by Venaani for the release of the audit report into the activities of August 26, who has, since 2018, demanded that the audit reports of the defence company be made public.
“The Honourable Venaani has it on good authority that the forensic audit of August 26 has been completed, and the documents are in the possession of the auditor-general’s office. Consequently, Honourable Venaani urges the auditor-general's office to publish this report within one month, by 11 April 2024,” Venaani said of the audit report.
According to Venaani, should the deadline pass without the public release of the audit report, he will be left with no choice but to approach the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the undue delay in sharing this critical information with the Namibian people.
“The Namibian public deserves to be informed about how millions of taxpayer dollars are spent within the August 26 Holding Company,” he said.
Calls ignored
In a letter to auditor-general Junias Kandjeke last year, Venaani said his requests for audit reports into the affairs of August 26 have never received a response.
“I have, since 2018, made numerous calls to have the company’s books audited, including a call to the Ombudsman’s office to render a legal opinion on the legality of auditing the defence company. To date, these calls fell on deaf ears,” Venaani said.
Venaani criticised the lack of accountability by August 26 and its subsidiaries, who are recipients of multimillion-dollar government contracts, which he said "undermines the values and transparency we stand for as a democratic country."
No transparency
He said the company should be audited like any other public enterprise that relies on taxpayers’ money.
In 2020, former Ombudsman John Walters recommended to the National Assembly and Cabinet that August 26 lay bare its financial statements for public scrutiny. Walters’s suggestions remain just that – a mere recommendation.
During the 2018/19 financial year, Kandjeke was blocked from inspecting N$506.4 million of the defence ministry's expenditure during that financial year. This despite the law providing the AG access to all books of a given government entity.
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