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”.
No comments :
Post a Comment