THE Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) is awaiting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) consent to prosecute some of the 36 grand corruption cases worth billions of shillings, involving high-profile individuals, investigations for which have been completed.
In his maiden press conference since he
took over the post, the Acting PCCB Director General, Commissioner of
Police (CP) Valentino Mlowola, mentioned four cases that were in
advanced stages of investigations.
He said investigations on payments of
six million US Dollars to Enterprise Growth Market Advisors (EGMA) as an
agent of Stanbic Tanzania -- to win 600 million US Dollar government
loan deal on behalf of the bank’s UK-based main unit, Standard Bank,
were at advanced stages.
“The PCCB has discovered that the six
million US dollars was money laundered by untrustworthy civil servants
and other people from the private sector, while knowing they got such
money illegally,” CP Mlowola explained.
According to him, they have recorded
good progress as far as investigations into the matter is concerned and
that all the suspects involved in the shoddy deal would be taken to task
without considering their status in their institutions or society in
general.
Available documents show that former
Commissioner General of Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Harry Kitilya
and former Capital Markets and Securities Authority Chief Fratern Mboya
(deceased) and a Kenyan, Peter Nyabuti, formed EGMA that demanded a one
per cent fee to help the bank act as transaction advisers for the
sovereign debt. Mr Kitilya, who was EGMA’s chairman, also served as
commissioner- general of the Tanzania Revenue Authority between 2003 and
2013.
The trio is accused of forming
Enterprise Growth Markets Advisors (EGMA) and causing Stanbic to inflate
the commission charged to 2.4 per cent of the deal’s value from the
initial 1.4 per cent fee. The fee inflation was to cater for
‘facilitation and arrangement charges,’ according to a forensic
investigation by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
The acting director general further
revealed that they were also investigating some cases involving Tanzania
Railways Limited (TRL) following the suspension of Director General
with Reli Assets Holding Company (RAHCO), Engineer Benhadard Tito, on
several allegations.
He said that the case involving RAHCO
was related to violation of rules and procedure in procurements of
tenders for construction of Standard Gauge railways and that already the
PCCB had arrested the suspects involved, including a Kenyan national.
The PCCB boss said that the Kenyan,
whose name was not disclosed, was believed to be a key person in
facilitating the provision of the tender to one Kanji Muhando, who was
awarded the tender.
“We are finalising the investigations on
the matter. All the people involved will be prosecuted,” he said. Mr
Mlowola stated that there was another case involving TRL relating to
violation procurement laws on acquisition of 25 special wagons (for
carrying gravels) from Hindustan Engineering and Industries Limited
Company.
“Investigations into the case have been
completed and we have forwarded the matter to the DPP for his consent to
prosecute all suspects involved in violations of procurement law, rules
and regulations,” he revealed.
The acting DG mentioned another case as
that involving tax evasion relating to 17,461,111.58 litres of petrol
concerning Lake Oil Company, causing the government to incur loss of
about 8.5bn/-. “The PCCB has completed the investigation on the matter.
The suspect and his associates have been
given two months to return all the money to the government. We are
preparing to take them to court if they will fail to heed to such
demand,” the PCCB acting chief said.
CP Mlowola affirmed during the press
conference in Dar es Salaam that all people allegedly connected to the
cases would be prosecuted without fear or favour. “Let me put it clear
here. For those who are thinking we are joking, the game is over now.
Nobody will be spared this time around.
We are going to take actions to whoever
will be found to have involved in any corruption deals, regardless of
his/her status in the society,” CP Mlowola warned.
The PCCB boss pointed out that they were
committed and were ready to implement the directives by President John
Magufuli of combating corruption in Tanzania without fearing anybody.
“We are ready. What we need is just
cooperation from citizens and nothing more,” he said. The PCCB’s acting
director also gave strong warning to four groups of persons in the
society to stop forthwith taking part in any kind of engagement of
corruption practices, or else they would not hesitate to take punitive
measures against them.
“I would advise those in public service
who cannot refrain from such unprofessional conducts to step down and
leave their offices to others who are committed to serve the people
diligently and faithfully.
They should not wait us to take actions
against them,” he cautioned. Mr Mlowola mentioned the groups in question
as those involving public servants and officers charged with collection
of tax and other government revenues.
Others are those dealing with accounting
government money, businessmen and other citizens and those who provide
services to the people
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