Former Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) executive director Emmanuel Ole Naiko
By Henry Mwangonde, The Citizen Reporter
In Summary
Mr Ole Naiko was in the list of well-known public
figures said to have received millions of shillings from Mr James
Rugemalira, a former IPTL shareholder.
Dar es Salaam. Former Tanzania Investment Centre
(TIC) executive director Emmanuel Ole Naiko yesterday said he was
surprised to learn that he was among the beneficiaries of the Tegeta
escrow billions.
Mr Ole Naiko was in the list of well-known public
figures said to have received millions of shillings from Mr James
Rugemalira, a former IPTL shareholder.
The Citizen also learnt yesterday from sources
close to Mr Rugemalira that he was preparing to issue a public statement
on his role in dishing out billions “left, right and centre”.
According to documents filed in the investigation
of the Sh306 billion scam and also produced in Parliament by the Public
Accounts Committee (PAC), Mr Rugemalira gave away billions to top
politicians, government officials and other individuals from his share
of the escrow monies in suspect transactions from an account at Mkombozi
Bank.
His company, VIP Engineering and Marketing, sold
its 30 per cent shares in Independent Power Tanzania (IPTL) to Pan
African Power (PAP) for $65 million (Sh129 billion), an amount Mr
Rugemalira famously described as “just a few cents for tobacco.”
Efforts by The Citizen since last week to talk to
some of the people said to have received a cut from the escrow cash,
bore fruit yesterday when Mr Ole Naiko agreed to speak.
He said he had been taken aback by the news when
it first began to emerge, but declared he had nothing to hide about the
fact that he received the money. His account at Mkombozi was topped with
Sh40.4 million from Mr Rugemalira.
He, however, told The Citizen that he did not know
at first that there was such an amount in his account until he checked.
“I rarely used this account and immediately I got notice of the deposit
I went to inquire the source.
“I didn’t bother to ask any further questions
because the person who had sent that money has been a long-time friend
and I believed I didn’t have to ask where he got the money from,” said
Mr Ole Naiko.
According to him, the money was deposited in March
but he has kept an eye on it until now. “I am waiting to tell the truth
to the investigation team that will be formed to unravel this escrow
matter as proposed by Parliament,” said the former TIC chief who is now
the Honorary Consul for Botswana in Tanzania.
He said there are people who don’t wish him well
and are backing up a campaign to tarnish his image over the money. Asked
on whether he will be ready to return the money, Mr Ole Naiko said he
will give an answer to that to the team that will be formed to
investigate them. “I will give the answer before a competent team that
will come but for now I am waiting for any action which will be taken by
the relevant authorities,” he said. Parliament recommended that all
those who received the escrow money be made to refund it.
as it was proceeds of a scandalous deal to rob taxpayer’s money.
A huge chunk of the Sh306 billion was spirited away through
Stanabic Bank, with headless beneficiaries said to have withdrawn over
Sh73 billion shillings in one day and in cash. Stanbic could now fall
into trouble over money laundering, according to Parliament. It will
also be forced to reveal the faceless individuals who walked away with
the billions “in sacks, boxes and bags.”
Yesterday Mr Ole Naiko said he shouldn’t be
branded as a thief. I am shocked by reports from a section of the media
branding me a key suspect. They are calling me names like ‘thieves’…
this is a serious allegation that I have never been linked with in my
life” he said.
He said it was absurd that it was being linked to
his role at TIC. “Even if the money was deposited while I served at TIC,
my office would have meant nothing at all in this escrow thing,” he
said.
Another beneficiary of the escrow cash who asked not to be named said the issue is very personal.
“We have been living like a family with Mr
Rugemalira because I have been working closely with him since 2001. He
is like a father to me I really cannot say anything on this” she said in
a telephone interview. She is among those who got slightly above Sh40
million.
A special audit on the Tegeta escrow account done
by CAG tabled by the PAC in Parliament on Wednesday revealed how some
senior government officials, church leaders and individuals were paid
huge amounts of money from Mr Rugemalira.
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