Bunge issues 3-month notice on fingerprint scanning tools

DAILY NEWS Reporter in Dodoma

THE National Assembly has issued a three-month ultimatum to the government to ensure that the fingerprint scanning devices at all police stations are working to expedite the identification of criminals.

The directive was issued by the Deputy Speaker, Dr Tulia Ackson, after receiving a report on the controversial 37bn/- tender to procure and install the scanners at all the police stations between the police force and Lugumi Enterprises Limited awarded in 2011.

In the said contract, Lugumi Enterprises was to supply and instal automated fingerprint devices at 108 district police stations across the country. However, the gadgets had been fixed at only 14 stations while the firm had already received 99 per cent of payments.

The 2013/14 Controller and Auditor General report showed that although the company had already been paid almost 90 per cent of the contract sum (34bn/-), it had not completed the project that kicked off five years ago.

In April this year, the PAC formed a sub-committee to investigate the performance of the 37bn/- controversial contract between the embattled Lugumi Enterprises and the Police Force, involving fixing Automated Fingerprint Information System (AFIS) at the police stations.

The sub-committee was told to submit a report to PAC for further scrutiny. In the same month, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Dr Thomas Kashilila, issued a three-day ultimatum to the law enforcement organ to submit a performance report on the 37bn/- contract it entered with Lugumi Enterprises before PAC for further scrutiny.

The move came after the police defied a directive by the parliamentary oversight committee to put forward the documents for assessment; following concerns raised by the financial year 2013/2014 report.

Yesterday, the Deputy Speaker directed the government to ensure that the electronic systems at the police stations were functioning properly to enable appropriate identification of criminals in three months.

Apart from the parliament’s directives, Dr Ackson said she had already handed over to the Executive, the outcome and recommendations of the report.

The findings were submitted to her office by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), led by its acting chairman, Mr Aesh Hilaly (Sumbawanga Urban-CCM).

“Apart from the directives I have issued to the government, I further direct that within three months beginning today, all the scanners should be working at all police stations,’’ she stressed.

The Deputy Speaker further directed the government to work on all specific areas that had laxities in their responsibility. When presenting the yearly implementation report, Dr Ackson directed the PAC to table a report on the implementation of the directives she issued regarding the Lugumi scam.

Through the contract, Lugumi Enterprises was to fix the bio-metric devices at all district police stations in the country at a total cost of 34bn/-, excluding value added tax (VAT) of 3bn/-.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Judge (Major General) Projest Rwegasira, and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ernest Mangu as well as high-ranking officials of the police were quizzed by the parliamentary oversight committee prior to the release of the report.

Despite issuing the directives, the National Assembly Speaker did not, however, reveal the details of the findings of the deal