‘Backyard service station operator’ denies allegations

Written by Patience Nyangove
Thursday, 21 January 2010

MINISTRY of Finance employee, Luca Nghipopilwa, whose backyard service station’ at Hosea Kutako International Airport was exposed last week says Informanté set him up.



Nghipopilwa who works at HKIA stays at house number BM34/6 just metres away from the airport sold five litres petrol for N$60 to an Informanté crew last week.

A Ministry of Finance employee at the airport who refused to give out his name, but referred to himself as the chief leader denied that Nghipopilwa was employed by the Finance Ministry.

“We don’t have a man called Luca here,” the man said.

In his statement which he left at Informanté offices last week, Nghipopilwa denied operating a ‘backyard service station’. He said the fuel he sold was siphoned from car that was parked at his house.

“This (sic) (three people) employees of Informanté approached me on the street closer to our house at H.K.I airport, the man was driving the car a (grey-condor) with two ladies inside told me that they’re looking for a house were there’s somebody selling petrol, I were (sic) wondering without any ideas for the matter (sic) and I told him that, maybe you are wrong directed (sic), it’s not here and him the driver as his eyes were so faster than his hands,(sic) he saw the car parked in our yard and than(sic) started demanding me to give him at least a 5 litres petrol (sic) from that car’s petrol tank,” he wrote.

However, contrary to Nghipopilwa’s statement the Informanté crew stumbled on the “backyard service station “ almost two weeks ago when looking for a service station at the airport. Guards at the gate indicated that petrol was being sold at a house in the Namibian Airports Company Limited compound.

The crew was on its way to Windhoek from Gobabis around 06h00 Sunday. Three small girls found at Nghipopilwa’s neighbours led the crew to his house. The crew could, however, not buy petrol after Nghipopilwa, told them that he was selling it at N$12 per litre.

Disguised as stranded motorists, a separate crew went back to the airport Tuesday and asked security guards at the airport gate where one could refuel.

Although the security guards seemed to have no idea, a NAC employee directed them to Nghipopilwa’s house.

Nghipopilwa has threatened unspecified action against the Informanté crew.

“I’ll take my time, with three of them slowly by swally (sic), not, now, not next year but, I’ll, I promise I’ll deal with them personal, in a diplomat way as a full mature person with open eyes, they should be told that, I am not selling petrol,” he wrote.