Summary
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Last week
opposition party ACT-Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe called for an urgent forensic
investigations into the local ownership of the 35 percent shares of Dnata
Zanzibar.
Unguja/Pemba. Ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi-Zanzibar has said it is ready to
task state organs to investigate some of the claims that have been raised by opposition politicians on the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA).Some of the claims include an alleged
monthly payment of $70,000 to ground handling company Dnata Zanzibar as
management fees and the manner which the stakes were acquired.
Speaking to The Citizen in a special
interview at Kisiwandui, CCM’s Ideology and Publicity Secretary –Zanzibar Hamisi
Mbeto Hamisi said that once the organs come out with their findings its only
then that they can decide what to do.
“At the moment these are just mere allegations
because there is no concrete evidence in the claims that ACT-Wazalendo has
brought forward in the two rallies in Nungwi and Pemba,” said Mr Mbeto.
CCM's Ideology and publicity
secretary- Zanzibar, Hamis Mbeto Hamis speaking to journalists at the party's
headquarters in Kisiwandui.
ACT –Wazalendo’s claims
Last week opposition party
ACT-Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe called for an urgent forensic investigations
into the local ownership of the 35 percent shares of Dnata Zanzibar.
Speaking at Tibirinzi Grounds in
Pemba, on Saturday, March 4, Mr Kabwe said the entire process of the
acquisition of the stakes was dubious, questioning how the authorities allowed
foreign nationals to own such shares.
“The law requires that when an
investment of this nature is foreign owned should have a local partnership owns
35 percent but what we have discovered is that 35 percent is owned by some
foreign nationals and a certain individual who is rather doubtful,” said Mr
Kabwe.
He called upon the Zanzibar
Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Authority (ZAECA) to investigate the
circumstances through which the stakes by a local company were acquired against
the laws and regulations of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority.
The former Kigoma legislator
also claimed that Dnata which is ZAA’s preferred ground handler at Terminal 3
whose operations was commissioned by President Mwinyi in January, 2023 was
being paid a monthly management fee of $70,000 (Sh170 million).
“This is quite a unique arrangement
which is not anywhere in any of the other airports in the United Republic of
Tanzania and what we have found out is that some of this money goes into the
pockets of government officials,” said Zitto.
The Citizen reached out to the
Zanzibar Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Authority (Zaeca) director general
to find out if they were aware of the alleged suspicious transactions as
claimed by ACT Wazalendo.
However, emails and messages seeking
clarification on the issue were unanswered.
“I cannot comment on this on phone,”
said the director general
Dnata Zanzibar speaks
Responding to the claims, Dnata
Zanzibar’s public relations team said in an email sent to The Citizen that
the company complied with all applicable legal requirements to operate at Abeid
Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA) in Zanzibar.
“The Tanzanian Civil Aviation
Authority (TCAA) granted dnata Zanzibar a license to provide ground handling
and cargo services at ‘Class II’ airports in the United Republic of Tanzania,
such as AAKIA, following dnata Zanzibar’s compliance with applicable legal
requirements,” reads the email.
It further stated: We will continue
to work closely with the authorities and other relevant stakeholders to ensure
continued full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations with respect
to the execution and provision of our ground handling operations and services.
Regarding the alleged dubious
identity of its owners the company said they had nothing to say.
“We have no further comment to add.”
In July, 2022, President Hussein
Mwinyi defended the decision to award Dubai National Air Travel Agency (Dnata)
a contract to operate ground handling services at the Abeid Amani Karume
International Airport Terminal 3, saying that all the due processes were
followed.
In November 2021, Dnata signed a
contract with authorities in Zanzibar to provide ground handling services at
newly built Terminal 3 at the airport.
As part of the contract, two other
Emirates’ subsidiaries, Emirates Leisure Retail and MMI will operate all 13
retailers and two lounges in the terminal. These include restaurant, duty free
and commercial outlets.
However despite the awarding of
exclusive rights at Terminal Three by Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA) the
company had to wait until late in 2022 when it acquired an operational licence
and a concession which was granted and approved by the Tanzania Civil Aviation
Authority (TCAA)
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