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Elcin to probe ‘missing’ N$3,4 million


THE Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (Elcin) has tasked its western diocese to investigate the N$3,4 million that allegedly went missing in the church.

The money was paid to the church in March 2016 by the Ministry of Finance for outstanding rentals, repair and renovation at Ongwediva and Okahao Primary schools in Oshana and Omusati regions, respectively.

The money was paid to the church’s western diocese, whose head office is at Outapi, but some church leaders told The Namibian that the money could not be accounted for and it is not clear what the money was used for.

According to a monthly newsletter last month, one of the church’s senior pastors, Joseph Shikuma, requested that the church investigate the alleged missing funds.

“The church has referred the matter to the western diocese for investigation and the diocese is expected to report its findings at the church’s next conference,” the church said in its newsletter.

Contacted for comment, Shikuma regretted the church’s decision to allow the diocese to investigate itself.

“Where have you seen a person investigating himself or herself? You ought to appoint an independent body or institution to investigate,” he said.

Shikuma added that while the matter is being investigated, the church should have suspended its head Gideon Niitenge, who was the head of the diocese at the time the money was paid.

Western diocese’s former director of finance Ezron Kapolo, who was in office when the money was paid, said the money is not missing but was used to build an office at the diocese’s headquarters at Nakayale and also to renovate various buildings.

“We have different sources of funds in the church. But to ask [what] specifically the money was used for, one needs [to] check the church’s financial report to see what it was used for,” Kapolo said.

Kapolo further told The Namibian that those who are saying the money is missing want to create a problem in the church.

He said the issue of the missing millions has been discussed for many years, but those alleging that the money is lost never approached the diocese.

“I am not aware of any missing money. If they know that the money is missing, why didn’t they come to me. I don’t know what they want. They will kill me one day. If they are convinced that I stole, they can come to my house or [check] bank account to look for it,” Kapolo said.





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