Widespread fraud at NWR

[Erica Absetz <erica () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2013/april/article/widespread-fraud-at-nwr/

THE Namibia Wildlife and Resorts has been plagued by fraud and
maladministration, costing the company millions of dollars.

Sources within the company told The Namibian that the NWR board of
directors and the audit and finance committee, ignored complaints and
reports of the widespread fraud taking place at the parastatal.
 Staff cloning of customer credit cards, managers abusing the company
fuel cards for their own benefit, theft of food and alcohol from
storerooms at resorts are just some of the examples of things that are
taking place at the company, The Namibian established.
Sources have accused managers of abusing their positions by visiting
company resorts with friends and family and claim to be on duty to
avoid paying for meals and accommodation.
 Some managers, especially area managers and resort managers have been
accused of abusing the company’s fuel cards, with some regularly
filling drums or 25 litre containers whenever they refuel their
vehicles but no reason is ever given for filling up extra drums or
containers.
The Namibian understands that last year the company asked the Police
Commercial Branch to investigate several staff members at Okaukuejo
for credit card fraud, after customers complained of being defrauded
at the NWR resort.
The Namibian understands that company management was advised to
transfer to other resorts, the staff members implicated as suspects to
break down the syndicate, but to no avail.
At Halali, a staff member was arrested in January this year with two
other people for suspected credit card fraud. The staff member is said
to have resigned from the parastatal after being granted bail in
February.
At Sesriem, the company is estimated to have lost over N$3 million on
income. This was because  employees at the resort allegedly converted
the money they collected from customers to their own use. The Namibian
understands that the company lost over 200 receipt books and the
employees were suspected to be using these books to issue fake
receipts to clients while pocketing the money collected.
Sources said senior management and the board were allegedly notified
of the situation but did nothing to rectify the situation or put in
place measures to curb the allegedly rampant fraudulant activities.
A 700 metre electrical cable was allegedly stolen from a store room at
Ai-Ais resort and sold in Keetmanshoop. Despite the suspects being
known even by the police, the company has allegedly not yet taken any
action against the implicated employees.
There are claims that at least three power generators have gone
missing from Terrace Bay. The old generators were used at the resort
until 2008. The Namibian is informed that the generators were
allegedly loaded into a track by NWR staff and sold to a Windhoek
based company.
Sources at the parastatal claim that the revelations outlined above
are but just a tip of the iceberg about the irregularities at the
tourism parastatal.
NWR board chairperson Lea Namoloh did not responded to queries by The
Namibian by the time of going to print.
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