VZCZCXRO7311
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHWD #0302/01 2321454
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201454Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0716
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0102

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WINDHOEK 000302 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KCOR CH WA
SUBJECT: NAMIBIA: CORRUPTION CASES TO NET BIG FISH? 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Namibia's Public Services Commissioner Teckla Lameck 
and her two business partners (a Namibian and Chinese 
national) are alleged to have defrauded the Namibian 
government (GRN) of USD $4.2 million.  The alleged corrupt 
acts are linked to a deal involving the GRN's purchase of 
x-ray scanning equipment from NucTech, a Chinese 
government-owned company.  In a separate case, the Chief of 
the Namibian Defense Force (NDF) is alleged to have profited 
from a deal in which a Chinese businessman provided another 
senior ranking military officer USD 1 million to secure a 
mining exploration license, according to media reports.  Both 
cases have emerged at a time of increasing scrutiny and 
criticism of Chinese business practices in Namibia. 
Namibia's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is leading both 
investigations, but its failure to secure convictions in 
high-profile cases since its inception in 2006 has tarnished 
its image.  A conviction in one or both of these cases might 
help restore the Namibian public's faith in the ACC and 
government's anti-corruption efforts.  End Summary. 
 
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NucTech Scandal 
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¶2. (SBU)  According to the Namibian Anti-Corruption 
Commission, Public Services Commissioner Teckla Lameck, her 
Namibian business partner Kongo Mokaxwa, and Chinese National 
Yang Fan defrauded the government of 42 million Namibian 
dollars (approximately USD $4.22 million).  The charge is in 
connection with the government's purchase of USD $55.3 
million in X-ray scanning equipment from NucTech a Chinese 
company.  Lameck and her co-defendants do not dispute 
receiving the money, but they argue the transaction was a 
commission for consulting services rendered to NucTech by 
their company Teko Trading. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In early February, NucTech and Teko reportedly 
entered into a consultancy agreement.  On February 27, 
two-and-a-half weeks later, the Ministry of Finance provided 
an advance payment of USD $12.8 million to NucTech for the 
X-ray scanners - an arrangement considered highly unusual for 
a GRN procurement.  On March 11, NucTech paid Teko Trading 
USD $4.2M, although it is not clear what services were 
provided.  Subsequently on April 10, NucTech and Teko entered 
into new consultancy agreements entitling Teko to another USD 
$8.6M, a sum equal to the difference between the USD $12.8M 
paid by the GRN to NucTech, and the $4.2M NucTech had already 
paid Teko.  Fan allegedly was an employee of both NucTech and 
Teko Trading.  In her defense, Lameck stated she had notified 
the president of her business interest in Teko Trading. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Chinese government provided a concessionary 
loan to fund most of the X-ray scanners, and President Hu 
Jintao's son Hu Haifeng was the CEO of NucTech when the 
Namibian government approved the deal.  A tender for the 
equipment was not released publicly.  The ACC has indicated 
that it wishes to interview Hu Haifeng, although it does not 
consider him a suspect. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Lameck and her two business partners were released 
on bail August 11 after six weeks in detention.  Lameck has 
been suspended, pending completion of the investigation, and 
her assets and those of her co-defendants have been frozen. 
In its ruling upholding the asset freeze, the High Court 
determined there was sufficient evidence that Lameck and her 
associates had violated two sections of Namibia's 
anti-corruption act. 
 
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Another Corruption Case with Chinese Links 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU)  A separate corruption scandal involving high-level 
military officials and alleged Chinese conspirators has also 
generated significant media attention in recent weeks.  The 
Chief of the Namibian Defense Force (NDF), Lieutenant General 
Martin Shalli, has been suspended pending the completion of 
an investigation into an alleged fraud scheme where another 
(as yet unnamed) senior NDF officer facilitated the 
acquisition of an exploratory mining license.  Press reports 
claim a Chinese national paid USD $1 million to the senior 
NDF officer, who in turn transferred USD $250,000 to Shalli. 
Shalli reportedly facilitated the deal.  Shalli allegedly 
placed his cut in a Zambian bank account under another 
person's name while he was serving as Namibia's High 
Commissioner in Lusaka. 
 
WINDHOEK 00000302  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU)  Military sources have been tight lipped about the 
case, noting that the investigation is ongoing.  According to 
media reports, Shalli and the other military officer met the 
Chinese national in 2005 or 2006 on a trip to China to close 
a weapons purchasing agreement between the NDF and the 
Chinese company Poly Technologies.  At that time, their 
Chinese contact reportedly approached Shalli for help in 
procuring a diamond license, but Shalli referred him to the 
other military officer.  News reports that Poly Technologies 
paid Shalli USD $250,000 have been explained by Shalli as an 
up front payment to lease one of his properties for 10 years. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  Early speculation about Shalli's suspension was 
that it was instigated by SWAPO-party stalwarts who believed 
that the general was a closet sympathizer of the opposition 
party, Rally for Democracy Progress (RDP).  Shalli has long 
been rumored to be an ally of RDP's Hidipo Hamutenya, and in 
recent months there have been calls from more radical 
elements within SWAPO (especially individuals connected to 
the SWAPO Party Youth League) to oust "non-loyal" party 
members from government.  Public sentiment has generally been 
supportive of Shalli, however, as he is considered a strong 
contributor to the liberation movement.  Nevertheless, his 
suspension has not elicited any unrest in the military ranks 
or any significant fears of instability among the general 
public. 
 
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Comment 
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¶9. (SBU)  Both the NucTech/Teko and Shalli cases have emerged 
at a time of increasing scrutiny and criticism of Chinese 
business practices in Namibia.  Chinese construction 
companies are often criticized for skirting labor regulations 
and winning government tenders despite, some allege, not 
complying with all the requirements for submission of bids. 
Chinese business people are frequently accused publicly (but 
until now without concrete examples) of bribing public 
officials to win government contracts. In fact, the 
perception that Chinese business people bribe government 
officials is so pervasive that the leading guide book on 
anti-corruption contains a cartoon of a Chinese man handing a 
bag of cash to a government official during a ceremony 
celebrating the award of a construction tender. 
 
¶10. (SBU) While Teckla Lameck is reportedly close friends 
with the Minister of Finance Saraa Kuugongelwa-Amadilha, and 
the Ministry of Finance signed the contract with Nuctech, 
there are no allegations that the Minister is linked to the 
NucTech/Teko scandal.  The scanners, destined for the Customs 
Service, have arrived in country.  It is possible that the 
Ministry availed itself of a loan offered during President 
Hu's visit to Namibia in early 2007.  Concessionary loans 
from China often have conditions attached to them, including 
certain procurement conditions. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Since its founding in 2006, the ACC has yet to 
secure a conviction in a high profile corruption case.  In 
fact, the ACC has been strongly criticized for only going 
after "small fish."  Some observers argue that the recently 
implemented Financial Intelligence Act (FIA) and the 
Prevention of Organized Crime Act (POCA) regulations give the 
ACC more tools to go after the "big fish."  It remains to be 
seen if Lameck and/or Shalli will be ACC's first big fish.  A 
conviction in one or both cases would bolster the public's 
faith in the ACC and the government's anti-corruption 
efforts.  It could also strengthen the hand of President 
Pohamba, who made the fight against corruption a central 
tenet of his 2004 campaign.  The President is generally 
perceived to be clean, but that is not the case for most 
other government officials.   According to the November 2008 
AfroBarometer survey, 49 percent of those questioned 
expressed their view that all or most national government 
officials are corrupt, whereas only 16 percent viewed the 
president and his inner circle as corrupt.  End Comment. 
MATHIEU