Zitto calls for Richmond probe

Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT- Wazalendo) party Leader Zitto Kabwe addresses a public rally at Mwembesongo Primary School grounds in Morogoro Municipality yesterday. PHOTO | JUMA MTANDA 

In Summary

The Richmond scandal rocked the nation in the early years of President Jakaya Kikwete’s administration that saw the then Prime Minister Edward Lowassa and cabinet ministers Ibrahim Msabaha and Nazir Karamagi resign.

By Lilian Lucas The Citizen Correspondent

Morogoro. Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT- Wazalendo) has called for a public judicial inquiry that will investigate into the Richmond scandal to establish the truth on the matter and ensure that appropriate legal actions are taken against those implicated in it.

Addressing a rally in Morogoro yesterday, ACT-Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe said the matter had kept on resurfacing and that the judicial inquiry would end its debate. Before a political rally, Mr Kabwe convened a meeting with ward and district leaders.

“Previously the opposition was using it as an agenda on corruption but now the opposition is clearing Edward Lowassa and claiming no evidence while CCM is using it as an anti-corruption issue, changing sides of the same issue,’’ he said when addressing a rally.

The Richmond scandal rocked the nation in the early years of President Jakaya Kikwete’s administration that saw the then Prime Minister Edward Lowassa and cabinet ministers Ibrahim Msabaha and Nazir Karamagi resign.

Mr Lowassa is currently the presidential flag-bearer for the Coalition of Defenders of the People’s Constitution (Ukawa) after he decamped from the ruling CCM on July 28.

According to Mr Kabwe, neither Ukawa nor CCM was objective on the matter because in one way or the other both political camps had vested political interests.

“ACT-Wazalendo as the remaining party with an accountability platform calls for a public judicial inquiry on the matter and legal actions be taken,’’ he said.

However, for the first time last week after joining the opposition, Mr Lowassa who resigned in 2008 as PM over the emergency power supply scam shifted the blame to “higher authorities”, revealing that he had been stopped from terminating the multi-billion shillings contract with a US company.

Mr Lowassa resigned after a Parliamentary Select Committee chaired by Dr Harrison Mwakyembe criticised his office for not acting to stop the scandal.

The committee ruled that while they didn’t find direct evidence linking the PM, he was obliged to take political responsibility.

Without mentioning anyone, Mr Lowassa said as the PM he had advised that the contract be terminated but his advice was blocked by “an order from above”.

The government lost a whopping $120 million (Sh240 billion), which was paid to Dowans following a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce in November 2011 over the Richmond saga.