Windhoek: Ombudsmen from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia are attending a workshop intended to enhance their investigative skills. Members of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Namibian Police are also attending the workshop taking place at the Windhoek Country Club Resort. The aim of the workshop is to hone their skills when it comes to combating corruption.

Topics of discussion at the workshop will include principles of excellent investigation, investigative challenges, how to plan an investigation, how to identify, prioritise and interview witnesses, how to deal with whistleblowers and assessing evidence.

The workshop runs from Monday to Thursday. The training is aimed at investigating techniques for investigators in the ombudsman's office and it will be presented by André Marin, an ombudsman from Ontario and his deputy for special projects Gareth Jones, who all have been presenting the "Sharpening your teeth" course around the world.

Marin was re-appointed as ombudsman of Ontario in June 2010 for a second five-year term. He was first appointed in April 2005. Jones was appointed as director of the Special Ombudsman Response Team at the office of the ombudsman of Ontario in 2005.

He has directed all the major systemic investigations into the provision of screening for newborns, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, the Family Responsibility Office, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, Legal Aid Ontario, the Ontario Lottery Corporation and the G20.