Thursday, June 30, 2016

Millya, Mbilinyi, Kubenea served 5-10-sitting Bunge ban

NELLY MTEMA in Dodoma
THREE MPs on CHADEMA ticket, Mr James Millya (Simanjiro), Mr Joseph Mbilinyi (Mbeya Urban) and Mr Saidi Kubenea (Ubungo) have been banned from attending between five and ten parliamentary sittings from yesterday for misconduct.
Speaking on a point of Speaker’s Guidance, the Deputy Speaker, Dr Tulia Ackson, said on May 24 during a House session, Mr Millya uttered a defamatory statement against the Minister for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, Ms Jenista Mhagama, over mining plots in Mererani.
According to the deputy speaker, Mr Millya had told the House that Ms Mhagama awarded a tender to his brother- in-law, Martin Mhagama, at Tanzanite One Mine in Arusha, further claiming that the minister had relations with one of partners at Sky Associates, who is a shareholder in Tanzanite One.
The MP had further alleged that the company was being protected by some government leaders, particularly ministers, including Ms Mhagama, and that is why the company was firing employees arbitrarily.
Ms Ackson said following the accusations, Ms Mhagama sought the Speaker’s directive over the statement, whereas she told Mr Millya to withdraw his statement, which he refused.
Following the legislator’s refusal, Dr Tulia said she directed Mr Millya to submit his evidence over the matter within four days, which he submitted on May 24 but he failed to substantiate his claims. “Since he failed to substantiate his claims, he has been banned from attending five sittings starting today.
The matter cannot be debated as required since he is not here to defend his case’’. Dr Tulia handed the same sentence to Saidi Kubenea for failing to justify his case against Minister for Defence and National Security, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, that he was awarded a residential building for awarding a tender to a certain company.
She said much as he called upon Mr Kubenea to withdraw his statement over the accusation raised against Dr Mwinyi, he refused -- saying he had evidence to justify his case.
However, the Deputy Speaker said, when they were submitted, it was realised that Mr Kubenea lied to the parliament, which called for five-session suspension. On his part, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Privileges, Ethics and Powers, Mr George Mkuchika, said Mr Mbilinyi has been banned from attending ten Bunge sittings starting yesterday for using abusive gestures in the House.
Reading the committee’s resolution, Mr Mkuchika said they met after the Deputy Speaker sought their guidance as per the complaint raised by Mr Sixtus Mapunda and Jacquiline Msongozi complaint.
It has been alleged that Mr Mbilinyi had flashed his right hand’s middle finger after submitting the opposition’s position on the international convention against doping in sports, which other legislators saw as abusive and humiliating.
He said after going through the evidence submitted Mr Mapunda and Ms Msongozi and through the parliament’s video reporting, the committee was satisfied that Mr Mbilinyi flashed his right hand’s middle finger.
Mr Mkuchika said when interrogated, Mr Mbilinyi said that he did so out of anger after an MP from CCM allegedly uttered an abusive word to him as he was walking out of the debating chamber.
However, Mr Mkuchika said that when he was told to point out who exactly abused him, Mr Mbilinyi was not in a position to do so, saying it was not easy to tell. “But since he did not put up a complaint for being abused by the ruling party MPs, using indecent gestures instead, the committee sought the guidance of appropriate parliamentary standing orders,” he explained.
He noted that the standing orders clearly state that; “Any person shall be guilty of an offence to show disrespect in speech or manner to the Speaker or commits any other act of intentional disrespect to with reference to the proceedings of the Assembly or to any person presiding at such proceedings”.

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