Chadema: More must sink over IPTL scam

By David Kisanga

  Included: Top govt officials who 'facilitated' the transaction

Chadema Board of Trustees chairman Arcado Ntagazwa addresses journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday on the raging controversy over the Tegeta escrow account scandal. The former cabinet minister gave a new list of high-ranking Bank of Tanzania, Finance ministry and other government officials the opposition party wants President Jakaya Kikwete to take action against in connection with their involvement in the scam. (Photo: Selemani Mpochi)

As the public anxiously awaits President Jakaya Kikwete’s final verdict on the Tegeta escrow account scandal today, CHADEMA has surfaced with a new list of high- ranking government officials who made the dubious transaction of money from the account a success.

 

The opposition party claims that apart from the earlier mentioned government officials to be held accountable over the scandal as per the parliament’s resolutions, the President should also take stern measures against four other senior government officials including Finance minister, Saada Mkuya, the Governor of the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), Prof Benno Ndulu and Treasury Permanent Secretary, Dr Servacius Likwelile.

 

“These were the mastermind of the controversial withdrawal of public monies…the release of 160bn/- from Stanbic bank was made possible by the mentioned authorities,” said CHADEMA’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Arcado Ntagazwa when addressing journalists at the party’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

 

He called upon the President to remove them from office, affirming that they were involved hence cannot distance themselves from the scandal. 

 

He noted that the aforementioned amount of money couldn’t have been drawn without the consent of the responsible authorities.

Ntagazwa further called on President Kikwete to immediately act on the culprits, as Tanzanians are eagerly waiting to hear his stance regarding the matter. 

 

He however, said that they had received information from impeccable sources in the State House that President Kikwete is planning on using today’s meeting to clear the implicated government officials from the scandal. 

 

On that note, Ntagazwa called on President Kikwete to carefully decide on the matter, insisting that the parliament resolutions must be respected. 

 

He cautioned that coming up with a verdict contrary to the parliament’s resolutions could result into conflicts. 

 

Meanwhile, the party’s Election and Organization Director, Benson Kigaila said that minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo and Permanent Secretary in the same ministry, Eliakimu Maswi should be ousted from office.

 

He was appalled as to why other implicated officials are yet to step down, arguing that they should be arrested and bankrupted. 

 

He however said that measures should be taken against the ruling CCM’s Secretary General, Abdulrahman Kinana on account that when the monies were drawn from Stanbic bank, the party’s Secretary General was among the bank’s board members.

 

“Kinana played a role of a coordinator between the bank and the government under his party,” he said, adding that the Secretary General should also be interrogated.

 

According to a statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communications on Friday last week, President Kikwete will today address Dar es Salaam elders and speak on various national issues, including matters that have been awaiting his final decision.

 

Late last month, the parliament came up with eight resolutions, one of which called for top government officials implicated in the controversial withdrawal of over 306bn/- from the Tegeta escrow account to be stripped of their leadership positions by their appointing authority.

 

Those whose appointments are supposed to be revoked are the minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo and his Permanent Secretary, Eliakim Maswi, Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Prof Anna Tibaijuka and Attorney General Frederick Werema who voluntarily resigned last Wednesday on grounds that his advice on the matter was misunderstood.

 

When Prof Tibaijuka held a press conference on Thursday last week, she vowed to stay in office, confidently saying that she was innocent, despite having received 1.6bn/- from James Rugemalira.

 

Prof Tibaijuka was quoted as saying she received the money “in good faith” as it was meant for donation to support Babro Johansson School after the Joha Trust that runs the school requested the money from Rugemalira.