FIRED NetOne chief executive officer, Reward Kangai earned a mega salary more than that of most Heads of State and government in the world, crippling the country’s first registered mobile phone provider, board chairperson, Alex Marufu, has said.
BY CHARLES LAITON
Marufu made the remarks in his founding affidavit filed at the High Court in response to Kangai’s application seeking to challenge a disciplinary hearing, which was supposed to be held against him over alleged misconduct and abuse of office.
The hearing has since been withdrawn and Kangai was served with a dismissal letter instead.
“The declaratur sought is now superfluous and irrelevant on account of the termination of applicant’s (Kangai) employment by notice, and no grounds for bias have been established. If anything, the applicant himself is exhibiting an inclination to cling onto clear falsehoods against hard facts,” Marufu said.
Commenting on Kangai’s claims of serving his former employer and doing well for the parastatal which he was accusing of refusing to engage him, Marufu said: “Indeed, it is admitted that the applicant (Kangai) has worked for 35 years for the former Posts and Telecommunications Corporation and respondent (NetOne).
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“The applicant obviously worked well for the organisation, but he must admit two key things: Firstly, that respondent has not made profits at all notwithstanding being the first registered mobile phone service provider, and that regardless of the losses, he has been earning more than most Heads of States of third world countries and has personally built his estate successfully.”
He added: “He (Kangai) refused negotiation by taking a bullish approach of the board’s effort to engage him. For him to preach engagement in a court application is an act of shameless hypocrisy. To avoid confrontation, the board resolved to terminate his employment by giving him notice in terms of law. The order prayed for is not merited as the disciplinary proceedings complained of were withdrawn and are now water under the bridge.”
The NetOne board chairperson said it was surprising that Kangai had decided to approach the court challenging the disciplinary hearing well knowing his employer had withdrawn it.
“To add on that, respondent’s (NetOne) undersigned legal practitioners wrote to applicant’s (Kangai) legal practitioners, not once, but twice, informing him that the disciplinary proceedings had been withdrawn, and with that knowledge, applicant must have withdrawn this application, but, alas, he would rather have his day in court, not for any substantive reason, but to discuss a moot point,” Marufu said.
Commenting on Kangai’s claims that he had been dismissed by the NetOne board without his knowledge, Marufu said the allegations were unfounded.
“Nothing can be further from the truth than the allegation that the board dismissed the applicant without his knowledge. The board is composed of professional people, who take advice, and who will not be vindictive or daft to terminate employment ‘Animal Farm’ style,” he said.
Kangai was initially sent on forced leave in March and officially suspended without pay and benefits on October 6 this year to facilitate investigations over the alleged abuse of millions of dollars.
His contract was subsequently terminated on October 12 on a three-month notice.