Written by Patience Nyangove
Thursday, 14 January 2010
A MINISTRY of Finance employee is running a thriving ‘backyard service station’ at house number BM34/6 some metres from Hosea Kutako International Airport compound.
The employee known only as Lukas who works for the Customs and Excise Department sells the petrol in five-litre containers at N$60 each.
Lukas keeps the fuel in his house which is close to others in the Namibian Airports Company Limited (NAC) compound.
An Informanté crew stumbled on the ‘backyard service station’ early this week when looking for a service station and guards at the gate indicated that petrol was sold at a house in the compound.
The crew could, however, not buy petrol after Lukas had told them that he was selling it at N$12 per litre. Disguised as stranded motorists, the crew went back to the airport on Tuesday and asked security guards at the airport gate where one could refuel. Although the security guards had no idea, a NAC employee directed the crew to Lukas’ house. At the house during the transaction, Lukas said he is in the business to supplement his meagre earnings.
“I am trying to make ends meet. You know the money I get from my job is not enough that’s why I am doing this,” he said.
Lukas said he buys the fuel from service stations in Klein Windhoek and transports it in jerry cans. NAC acting CEO, Advocate Matti Asino, initially said he was not aware that there was such an activity at the airport.
“I have no idea about what you are talking about. But one can’t just sell fuel from a house its very dangerous. This is the first time I am hearing of this,” Asino said.
However, he later contacted Informanté saying the Ministry of Finance would deal with Lukas.
“He works for Customs and they are the ones responsible for him,” he said. The Namibia Airports Company is in charge of all airports in the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment