Thursday, March 31, 2016

Ex-ATC boss Mattaka case probe ‘not complete’

FAUSTINE KAPAMA
THE prosecution has asked the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam to grant them more time to complete investigations into the trial of former Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) Managing Director David Emanuel Mattaka and two other people.

In the case, Mattaka is charged with abuse of position and causing a loss of over 86bn/- to the company, while his co-accused persons, Ramadhan Seif Mlinga and Bertha Humphrey Soka, former senior officials with the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) are facing one count of forging some minutes.
Prosecutors from Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Peter Vitalis and Joseph Kiula told Principal Resident Magistrate Thomas Simba that investigations into the matter have not been completed. Following the request by the prosecution, the magistrate adjourned the trial to April 12, for another mention.
He ordered Mattaka to remain in remand. It is alleged that on October 9, 2007 at ATCL offices in Ilala District, being the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, in discharge of his functions, intentionally Mattaka abused his position by signing Aircraft Lease Agreement in respect of Airbus A320-214 manufacturer’s serial number 630.
Such agreement, according to the prosecution, was between Wallis Trading Inc as lesser and ATCL as a lessee. It is claimed that the signing of the agreement did not comply with the Public Procurement Act and Regulations. Mattaka is alleged to have failed to follow tender procedures in the process.
The prosecution charges Mattaka of abusing the authority of his office on October 27, 2007 by signing a lease certificate of acceptance of the Airbus in disregard of technical advice that he was given, an act that was prejudicial to the rights of ATCL.
It is alleged that between October 27, 2007 and April 24, 2008 at ATCL offices, through such a conduct Mattaka caused the company to suffer pecuniary loss of 772,402.08 US dollars, which was paid to Aeromantenimiento, S.A. as maintenance service charges.
Between October 27 and November 29, 2007 at ATCL offices, the prosecution claimed that Mattaka signed willfully the lease acceptance certificate for the Airbus, causing the company to incur a loss of 35,984.82 US dollars.
The prosecution alleged further that between October 9, 2007 and October 29, 2011, at ATCL, by his negligence, Mattaka signed the Aircraft lease agreement between Wallis Trading Inc and ATCL, causing the government to suffer a pecuniary loss of 42,459,316.12 US dollars, which ATCL owed to Wallis Trading Inc.
On March 19, 2008, at PPRA offices in Ilala District, with intent to deceive, Ramadhan Mlinga and Bertha Soka forged minutes of the meeting, purporting to show that on that date the Authority held a meeting to discuss application for retrospective approval of ATCL Aircraft Lease Agreement.
This is the second case Mattaka is facing before the same court. The first case relate to abuse of office and occasioning loss to ATCL a sum of 143,442.75 US dollars.

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