A going legal row between Chief of the City Police Abraham Kanime and the City Council continued in the Windhoek High Court.

The council wants the City Police Chief to repay salaries paid to him by the municipality since his re-appointment in May 2020.

The Windhoek City Council in its court papers is demanding that Kanime pay back about six-comma-eight million dollars.

These include all salary payments, 13th cheques, as well as monthly housing and car allowances paid to him when he was allegedly appointed unlawfully.

But the Chief of the Windhoek City Police is sticking to his guns.

Through his lawyer, Sisa Namandje  Kanime told Judge Hannalie Prinsloo that his client was planning to go on retirement when the then Management Council offered him a renewed employment contract for another three years.

The lawyer further accused former NamPol's Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga of allegedly instigating the council to refuse the re-appointment of Kanime.

Namandje also questioned the legality that of the Chief of the City Police being appointed in consultation with the inspector General of the Police.

Describing the attempts by the City of Windhoek as sad, Namandje asked the court to dismiss with costs, the City's bid to what he termed as restitution to be paid back by Kanime.

He further argued that Kanime had worked on the instruction of the City for the past three years, and his contract will end in about two months.

He added that it is unheard of that the City Police Chief would be expected to refund the money for work he has done.

However, lawyer Patrick Kauta, representing the City of Windhoek dismissed Namandje's arguments.

Kauta stated that Kanime in 2020, tendered his resignation in the face of multiple and serious disciplinary matters.

Kanime stood accused of wrongfully and unlawfully using municipal property and misappropriation city funds 

Kauta further informed the Court that Kanime also faced charges of employing unqualified staff to the City Police.

His resignation Kauta argued was part of what he termed a 'diabolical plan to dodge these charges'.

He also told the Court that the Management Committee at the time bypassed CEO Robert Kahimise's authority and appointed an acting CEO who approved the re-appointment of Kanime.

This Kauta says was unlawful.

Kanime has been at the helm of the city police for more than twenty years.

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Emil Seibeb