WITNESSES to a truck accident on the road between Otjiwarongo and Otavi on Thursday claim that the occupants of a Government vehicle were among a large crowd of looters who ransacked the truck's consignment of brown sugar and macaroni.

The accident scene drew a large crowd of looters and curious bystanders.

According to one bystander, among the looters were two individuals who emerged from a Ministry of Justice vehicle.

"They carried boxes of goods away - I believe it was macaroni and brown sugar - loaded the back of the vehicle, and then they just drove away.

They should've ensured that justice prevailed instead of doing something like that."

The bystander said this looting took place despite the pleas of the truck driver to leave the goods alone.

"There were also other private people carrying things away, but when we saw that it was a Ministry of Justice vehicle, that came as the biggest shock," the bystander said.

"That truck driver may lose his job over this, but that Ministry of Justice guy just responded that insurance would cover the cost."

Upon receiving the registration number of the Ministry vehicle, The Namibian was able to track down its driver, who works as a driver at the Ministry of Justice.

He admitted that he was at the scene of the accident, but denied allegations of any wrongdoing.

"We were on the way to Otavi, and were two in the car.

But we know very well that we are not allowed (by the Ministry) to load goods into the car, so we didn't take anything," he said.

Asked how he could explain the allegations against him, the driver said: "There were a lot of people there at the accident.

It is possible that people parked alongside our car were taking items, and this could have been mistaken for the car we were driving."

He said, however, that he did not see any people looting goods from the overturned truck.

J.F.

Rugam, the Human Resources Practitioner at the Ministry of Justice, said the incident had not been brought to the attention of the Ministry, but added that the involvement of ministerial staff in looting constituted an offence "if a government official should deviate from the intended official use of the vehicle, or if he/she misuses the vehicle".