The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) is demanding repayment of N$529 250 from a former employee, who allegedly defrauded the company by preparing payment requisition documents and instructing Bank Windhoek to make payments into the account of a person posing as a student.
The hearing began on Monday before Judge Shafimana Ueitele.
The former NSFAF employee, Tomas Konghola, was a payments officer in the payments division.
From January 2016 to December 2019, he reportedly defrauded the company by instructing NSFAF bank to process payments into accounts belonging to one Nelson Sheefeni.
An Anti-Corruption Commission investigation revealed that a payment of over N$300 000 was made into Sheefeni’s FNB account in October 2016.
In December 2017, a payment of N$87 000 was again made into Sheefeni’s Standard Bank account and again another N$87 000 was paid into Sheefeni’s Nedbank account.
Konghola reportedly resigned from his job after a disciplinary hearing was initiated against him.
The fund has since submitted an internal audit report dated September 2020, as an exhibit.
“A total amount of N$529 250 was fraudulently and unlawfully paid into the accounts of Sheefeni, as a result of unauthorised and fraudulent conduct and instructions by Konghola. When preparing the aforesaid payment requisitions and instructions to NSFAF banks, Konghola wrongfully represented to NSFAF and the banks that Sheefeni was a legitimate NSFAF-funded student and, as such, eligible to receive financial assistance from NSFAF,” the Fund said in its particulars of claim.
NSFAF Acting Chief Executive Officer Kennedy Kandume has also filed a supporting affidavit.
Contacted for comment, Konghola said he is not aware of the lawsuit.
“I don’t know. I was not in court today,” Konghola told The Brief.
In his witness statement, however, he denies defrauding NSFAF, or that he made misrepresentations that Sheefeni was an NSFAF-funded student.
Mbanga Siyomunji represents the accused, while Francois Bangamwabo represents NSFAF.
In defrauding the fund, Konghola allegedly recorded names, ID numbers, student numbers and courses of students on the students’ list but amended their bank account numbers and replaced them with Sheefeni’s account numbers.
