Sasol-linked BEE group faces corruption inquiry
Carli Lourens
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Trade and Industry Editor
THE Namibian government has ordered an investigation into allegations of corruption in a fuel-supply contract worth R800m a year that Sasol secured through an associate empowerment company in that country in 2004.
NamibiaÆs Anti-Corruption Commission director, Paulus Noa, said on Friday that the move followed public complaints that the Namibian joint venture company ôdid not follow proper procedureö in securing the government tender to supply about half of NamibiaÆs fuel for three years.
The Namibian-incorporated empowerment company, Namibia Liquid Fuels, is owned 51% by Philco20 and 49% by Sasol, according to Sasol. Asked whether Sasol was being investigated for bribery, Noa said: ôThat is one of the points as well.ö
Sasol said on Friday that to the best of its knowledge it was not subject to any investigation, but would co-operate with the commission. ôWe are not aware of any irregularities involving Sasol or our partner,ö spokeswoman Marina Bidoli said.
Noa said high-level Namibian government officials had been named in complaints as being involved in the deal. The Namibian newspaper reported on Friday that the deal involved ôa select group of State House and other top officials, who are reported to have raked in as much as N$400m a year in dividendsö.
The newspaper also said it was believed that the investigation would also ôlook into whether government officials involved in the deal had abused their positions to put pressure on Sasol to take them on as their black economic empowerment partnersö.
Noa said the empowerment credentials Namibian Liquid Fuels claimed were also in question.
He said SasolÆs partners had listed several community projects ù ôto engage as many empowerment people as possibleö. It was alleged that some of these projects did not exist, Noa said.
He could not say whether Namibia Liquid Fuels could potentially lose the contract. The investigation had been hampered by the commission being understaffed, but it was recruiting members. Noa could not say when it would be completed.
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