Bunge team summons Pinda

Rumishaeli · 2013-08-21T10:45:58+00:00

By Elisha Magolanga In Summary He said there were about 70 DEDs implicated in the theft of public funds who were transferred instead of facing prosecution. Dar es Salaam. The parliamentary Local Authority Accounts Committee (LAAC) yesterday summoned Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda to appear before it tomorrow. The committee wants Mr Pinda to explain why thieving district executive directors (DEDs) are transferred instead of being taken to court. Also summoned are Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (Regional Administration and Local Government) Hawa Ghasia and her deputy, Mr Aggrey Mwanri. LAAC chairman Mr Rajab Mohamed Mbarouk said the transfer of DEDs in charge of councils accused by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) of massive embezzlement made it difficult to hold them to account. He said there were about 70 DEDs implicated in the theft of public funds who were transferred instead of facing prosecution. Mr Mbarouk promised to name the DEDs on Friday, saying most of them were adversely mentioned in the CAG'S 2011/12 report. "We want the government to take immediate action to arrest all district executive directors mentioned in the CAG's report and prosecute them." For example, he said, the committee visited Mwanza, but could not get an appropriate response to queries raised in the CAG's report because the former city director, Mr Wilson Kabwe, had been transferred to Dar es Salaam where he is serving in the same capacity. "The committee has established that some of these transfers are aimed at hiding the truth," the LAAC chairman said. The committee also uncovered corruption and financial mismanagement in most district councils assessed in the last few months. Mr Mbarouk said there was blatant disregard of financial regulations and misuse of public funds during implementation of rural development projects. He accused the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PBBC) of dilly-dallying on investigations into corruption allegations levelled against DEDs. PCCB Director General Edward Hoseah recently called for the establishment of a tribunal to handle corruption cases. He said there was a need to restructure the legal system and give PCCB mandate to arrest suspects, carry out investigations and hear corruption cases instead of referring them to the Director of Public Prosecutions. In another development, LAAC yesterday rejected the financial reports of five district councils after the CAG queried them. Mr Mbarouk said officials in Mbarali, Monduli, Arusha, Morogoro and Mwanza were reluctant to cooperate with the CAG and LAAC. LAAC rejected their reports and gave them two weeks to review their books and submit them to the CAG, he said. The five districts have received the CAG's qualified opinion for the past five consecutive financial years. Mr Mbarouk said the CAG's audit report for 2011/12 showed that local authorities lost billions shillings through questionable expenditure. It is estimated that at least 33 per cent of annual budgetary allocations to local councils is embezzled. Recent findings by parliamentary oversight committees have revealed that the embezzlement of public funds was affecting implementation of development projects. The CAG's 2011/12 report revealed that there was widespread corruption in various government institutions and district councils. It cited cases of corruption, embezzlement of public funds, financial mismanagement and bureaucratic ineptitude. The report said there were goods paid for but not delivered and expenditure that had no documentary evidence. Salaries totalling billions of shillings were paid to retirees, absentees and other ineligible people. The Citizen, Tuesday, August 20, 2013 at 20:25

Thread starter Rumishaeli
Start date Aug 21, 2013
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bungeni kujieleza mizengo pinda waziri mkuu

Rumishaeli

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Bunge team summons Pinda

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