Naiko downplays ‘role’ in escrow saga

Emmanuel Ole Naiko 

By Bernard Lugongo,The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

• So far, five  people have been charged at Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court over allegedly receiving money from Mr Rugemalira corruptibly

Dar es Salaam.  Former Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) executive director Emmanuel Ole Naiko, who was on the list of ..............................
beneficiaries of the Tegeta escrow account billions, said the scandal has not tarnished his image as Honorary Consul for Botswana in Tanzania.

Meanwhile, Mr Ole Naiko said: “I am just fed-up of being branded a thief... if a person wants to send me to court, jail or kill me, let it be done; as long as I know that I am innocent.”

He was speaking recently in an exclusive interview with The Citizen in Dar es Salaam at the Botswana Consulate Office.

The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) last week started sending to court those who received a share of the escrow account monies.

So far, five people have been charged before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court over corruptly receiving the money from Mr James Rugemalira, a former shareholder of IPTL.

According to documents filed in the investigation of the Sh306 billion scam and also produced in Parliament by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Mr  James 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).

Speaking over his alleged share of Sh40.4 million from Mr Rugemalira,  the former TIC boss said until now he has not drawn a single cent from the account as he waits for consequences from the ongoing investigations.

Mr Ole Naiko explained that the money was deposited into his Mkombozi Bank account in March, last year, but he came to learn about the matter in November after reading reports that he was among beneficiaries of the escrow account.

“November was when I went to ask for a bank statement because I normally don’t use this account; after confirming it, I called Rugemalira and asked why he had put the money in my account,” he said.

He said Mr Rugemalira replied: “I gave you because you are my friend; but tell me if you don’t want that money.”

After Rugemalira’s feedback, Mr Ole Naiko could not ask further questions, saying after all that Mr Rugemalira had never been labelled a criminal and the two were long-time friends since the 1980s.

 He added that in the 1990s Mr Rugemalira was the godfather of his child.

Mr Naiko said he retired as a civil servant in 2011 and, therefore, could not have any influence in the government in favour of Mr Rugemalira.

“What pains me most is how the media portrays me as a civil servant. Even if the money was deposited while I served at TIC, my office would have meant nothing at all in this escrow thing, and I never helped Mr Rugemalira,” he said.

He gave assurance that he was fair when he was the boss of TIC by ensuring the centre built a cadre of credible Tanzanian entrepreneurs.