Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Director General Brigadier John Mbungo.
Dar es Salaam. The suspended Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Director General Deusdedit Kakoko had no money at the time of his arrest, PCCB has said.
The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Director General Brigadier John Mbungo confirmed to The Citizen that Mr Kakoko had indeed been arrested and that he would be arraigned soon.
He, however, trashed reports circulating in social media platforms that Mr Kakoko was found in possession of $1.6 million (Sh3.68 billion) cash.
Instead, he said Mr Kakoko was found with $3,000 and Sh1million during an inspection which was conducted in the presence of his family and local authorities.
Since news of Mr Kakoko’s arrest started became public on Monday evening, social media platforms have been awash with reports that detectives had conducted a search at his house and found him in possession of $1.6 million.
“It is true we have arrested him for questioning. He is now in the hands of PCCB but it is not true that we found money at the arresting point,” Brigadier Mbungo said.
And according to Brigadier Mbungo, the PCCB was currently questioning him and conducting thorough investigations before sending the suspended TPA boss to court.
He also refuted social media rumors that pointed to the fact that Mr Kakoko was arrested while Morogoro and that he was attempting to flee the country.
“Don’t rely much on hearsays because you (Tanzanians) will be misled. I cannot reveal the place where we arrested him,” he said.
On March 28 President Samia Suluhu Hassan suspended Mr Kakoko after TPA was adversely mentioned in the report of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) for the financial year 2019/20.
President Hassan said she had seen the massive embezzlement that has been conducted at TPA and ordered the PCCB to take up the task as a matter of urgency.
At one point, President Hassan said, the Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa had formed a committee to probe what had been happening at the port and some action was taken.
“But from the report that you submitted to me yesterday, at least Sh3.6 billion had been embezzled at TPA…..When the Prime Minister conducted a probe, we only managed to fire junior staff. I now order the suspension of TPA Director General to pave way for investigations into the embezzlement,” she said.
In December last year, Mr Kassim Majaliwa suspended two officials of TPA to pave the way for investigations over accusations of embezzlement of public funds.
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