Namcor suspends manager over fuel theft in Walvis Bay – News

… in connection with the theft of more than 69 trucks with fuel

The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) has suspended its terminal operator in connection with the theft of more than 69 trucks carrying 2.7 million litres of fuel.

Ellis Egumbo was suspended this week.

Namcor spokeswoman Utaara Hoveka confirmed this yesterday.

“This is primarily based on inventory and trade documentation losses at the national oil storage facilities in Walvis Bay. This is to enable a fair and independent investigation. I cannot disclose any further information beyond this,” he said.

The role of terminal manager is taken over by Engineering Manager Gerald Myburg.

Egumbo did not respond to questions sent to him yesterday.

The suspension came after The Namibian reported in March that police were investigating a possible large-scale fuel theft after 69 trucks dispatched by Namcor allegedly failed to deliver their cargo to customers.

The value of the missing fuel is not confirmed, but sources estimate the damage at around N$49 million.

The inspectors found that the trucks were loaded with fuel, but there was no evidence that it reached customers.

The Namibian reported earlier this year that four people were arrested between February and March for allegedly stealing N$1 million worth of fuel from Namcor.

The suspects are Simeon Shilongo (38), Graham Platt (46), Jason Malima (26) and Denzel Mulunga (21), a nephew of suspended Namcor CEO Immanuel Mulunga.

Malima is related to Victor Malima, the former chief executive of Enercon, a company that supplied military fuel and was taken to court by Namcor because it was struggling to repay the 60 million naira it owed to the state-owned oil company. Namcor now wants to liquidate Enercon.

Both Immanuel Mulunga and Victor Malima denied any wrongdoing.

The timeline of the alleged syndicate is unclear, but information suggests that each truck would transport 40,000 litres of fuel. Namcor sells a litre of fuel to major customers for about N$18, bringing the total to about N$49 million or more.

The company conducted diagnostic tests on the pipelines that transport fuel from the jetty to storage tanks at the oil facility to detect any leaks. Eventually, Namcor decided to hire a security guard to monitor the trucks’ movements.

“The revelation was truly breathtaking,” says a source.

Here’s the scheme, as described by sources close to the matter: After the fuel is picked up from the oil depot, a truck is driven to the customer’s premises seemingly ready for delivery. However, this truck never enters the premises. Instead, another truck parked nearby comes to unload the fuel tank from the first truck. With the tracker attached to the front, the cab of the first truck remains parked near the customer’s premises, creating the illusion of a legitimate delivery while the fuel is diverted elsewhere. This operation involves collusion between individuals employed by Namcor, truck drivers, and insiders at the major customer’s facility.

Following the auditors’ findings, Namcor dispatched a team to Walvis Bay to strengthen the security system and enable the transition of national oil storage from a paper-based to an integrated system.