Hatima ya DECI ni nini?

2009-06-19 07:49:00

The Sh25bn Deci mystery

By Damas Kanyabwoya, Dodoma
THE CITIZEN

Almost Sh12 billion in cash was found stuffed in boxes in the homes of the Deci pyramid scheme directors during an investigation that failed to trace another Sh25 billion collected from the members, the Government revealed yesterday.

Finance and Economic Affairs minister Mustafa Mkulo told a press conference here that the controversial Development Entrepreneurship for Community Initiative (Deci) owes its 343,500 members a total of Sh39.272 billion.

These are the members who, according to Deci lingo, had "planted their seeds" but had not yet "harvested". The amount is the principal sum (deposits) and does not include deposits by members who had "harvested" at least once and "planted" (deposited) again.

Presenting the findings of a task force formed by the Government in April to investigate Deci's activities, Mr Mkulo said that about Sh2.6 billion had been found in various bank accounts held by Deci, its directors, and other officials.

Another Sh11.828 billion was found stashed in boxes, buckets and other containers in the houses and offices of Deci leaders and employees. The money has since been deposited in a special government account.

"We have managed to trace only about Sh14.45 billion, which is being is held in the special account. If we deduct that from the Sh39.272 billion Deci owes its members, we get a deficit of Sh24.822 billion," he said.

The Government, he declared, would not pay the members the difference because they were involved in an illegal operation.


"It's a crime to establish, operate or participate in a pyramid scheme. Therefore, they should not expect the Government to bail them out." Mr Mkulo said the money would be held in the special account until the cases against the Deci officials are completed.

Asked what would happen should the officials be convicted and jailed, he said: "We will have and wait to see what will happen. I have not even seen the charge sheet and so I cannot predict what will happen to the officials."

Last Friday, five Deci officials, including four directors, were charged in a Dar es Salaam court with operating a pyramid scheme and collecting deposits from the public without the relevant licences.

The accused, who are all pastors of the Pentecostal Church of Tanzania, Mr Jackson Sifaeli Mtares, Mr Dominick Kigendi, Mr Timotheo Ole Loiting�ye, Mr Samuel Sifael Mtares, and Mr Arbogas Francis Kipilimba, denied the charges in the Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court and were remanded in custody.

The Deci officials appeared in court for the second time on Wednesday, when their members staged a rowdy protest.

The members, carrying placards, shouted their demands for a speedy conclusion of the case or release of their directors so they could help refund their money. Police had to be called to restore law and order, and arrested the suspected ringleaders.

The top Deci officials were then sent back to Keko Remand Prison in Dar, after the mention of the case. The Director of the Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Eliezer Felishi, had opposed their released on bail.

State Attorney Edgar Luoga produced the DPP's certificate under Section 148(4) of the Criminal Procedure Act that bars the release of the accused on bail for their security and in the public interest.

Magistrate Ms Addy Lyamuya ordered the suspects remanded despite a spirited attempt by defence counsel led by Mr Simon Kitururu, to get them freed.

Yesterday, Mr Mkulo said Deci was registered at Brela to operate as a low-interest lender to members of the Pentecostal church.

"Deci was not registered as a bank by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), as some people have alleged. It was registered by Brela to provide low-interest loans to its members." Soon after its registration, the minister added, the company transformed itself into a pyramid scheme.

Mr Mkulo said that if Deci had been remitting taxes to the TRA, it did so as a registered company and not as a pyramid scheme.

He said the correspondence between BoT and Deci that had been frequently mentioned in the media concerned a request by the latter to be allowed to become a bank. But when BoT demanded to know what investments Deci was involved in, it failed to provide the information.

The BoT then reported the matter to the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI), leading to the investigation, which established that it was, indeed, a pyramid scheme.

Minister Mkulo also could not confirm whether some government officials had deposited any money in Deci, terming the allegation as a mere rumour.

"I have also heard that some top government officials had a hand in Deci. The authenticity of letters from such officials supporting Deci has not been established. I cannot, therefore, name names lest I interfere with the court proceedings," he said.

Meanwhile, the four Deci members arrested on Wednesday, were yesterday charged in the Kisutu court with unlawful assembly.

Pastor Isack Kilage of the Pentecostal Church, Mr Samuel Mnzava, Mr Michael Juma and Ms Neema Rajabu, denied the charge before Resident Magistrate Michael Mteite and were remanded in custody after failing to raise bail.

The four were arrested at the law courts on Wednesday after allegedly staging a demonstration, demanding the release of the top Deci officials charged with operating a pyramid scheme.

Additional reporting by Rosina John, Dar
 
Na bado waliopanda mbegu walipoambiwa wanaibiwa wakasema serikali iachane nao maana deci ndio mkombozi......waoo sio serikali kulikoni???
 
Kwa wale wote waliokuwa wanashiriki mchezo wa upatu wa kupanda na kuvuna DECI Mabibo, tupeane mawazo nini cha kufanya, hivi pesa zetu zipotee hivi hivi kweli!!!?

Kwa wanaojua kinachoendelea tujulishane basi,
 
Kaitaba, bado una imani ya kupata pesa ulizopanda DECI? kwa sasa hakuna kinachoendelea hiyo ndo imeshatoka hivyo,fikiria njia nyingine za kupata pesa uweze kuendeleza maisha yako,wala usiruhusu DECI ikuchukulie muda wako kwa kuwaza kuwa ni nini kinachoendelea.
 

Anaamini katika subira.
 
Kaitaba

Nadhani hamna matumaini, watu wameshakata tamaa kama aunty yangu..Halafu ndo alikuwa amepanda tu na kabla zamu ya kuvuna haijafika DECI ikakumbwa na maafa.
Hataki kuongelea swala la DECI sasahivi,kwake yeye anaona imetoka basi ni funzo kutokana na hilo decio.
 
Endelea kuvuta subira, hali ya hewa imekuwa mbaya kidogo kwahiyo mbegu zimeshindwa kustawi vizuri.
 
Wale viongozi wa DECI leo watapata dhamana hivyo watakuwa katika nafasi nzuri ya kuhandaa malipo yetu.
 
Kwa wale wote waliokuwa wanashiriki mchezo wa upatu wa kupanda na kuvuna DECI Mabibo, tupeane mawazo nini cha kufanya, hivi pesa zetu zipotee hivi hivi kweli!!!?

Kwa wanaojua kinachoendelea tujulishane basi,


viongozi wetu ndo wametufikisha hapa, ukweli ni kwamba DECI kwa jinsi ilivyoleta hiyo kitu ni kwa kuwa watu hawakuwa na njia mbadala ya kutatua matatizo yao, hiyo kitu haingeweza kumridhisha kila mtu, hata serikali isingeingilia, mwisho wa siku lazima kuna watu wangelia tu poleni, tujipe pole
 
Jamani kitugani kinachoendelea kuhusu DECI,

Kwanini Government inashikilia pesa za watu bila kutoa Solution kwa muda wote huu Je! ni kweli Serikali haifahamu watu wengi waliokuwa DECI ni walimu na Mishahara ya walimu siunajulikana wanapewa pesa ndogo alafu leo hii Wamecheza upatu pesa yote imeishia kwenye Upatu,

Hivi ni kweli kabisa Serikali inajua ni kwakiasi gani Watu wanateseka kutokana na kuchelewesha kutoa njia ya kutatua hilo tatizo la DECI.

Haya pesa zipo wahusika wamekamatwa je!
hao wenye pesa zao wanarudishiwa lini?

Ningependa serikali iwarudishie Watu pesa zao Wakianza na wale maskini na wakiwemo walimu zitakazo baki wagawiwe wale wenyenazo.

Waungwana mnasemaje kwa hilo?

Kilichonisukuma kuandika hivi kunaticha mmoja wa S/msingi alikuwa analalamika akisema miaka 5 aliyo tumikia serikali ktk kufundisha akaweka pesa yake DESI ikaliwa hivyo kaanza kazi upya inasikitisha sana.

Naomba jamani hawa watu wasaidiwe yaani mpaka wengine wamekufa kwa mawazo na BP.

Naomba Muungwana awahurumie hawa watu wapate haki yao.
 
ThinkPad, pole kuna mtu kaelezea amount inayoshikiliwa na serikali ni kidogo kuliko deni mnalodai. Mi naona ushauri wangu wana DECI wangeungana na kutafuta mwanasheria awashauri nini wafanye;
wakubali kugawanywa pungufu ya madai yao ili wote wasiowahi kuvuna walipwe. waandike makubaliano hayo na kuyapeleka serikalini kama itakubaliwa.
ni ushauri tu maana naona wanasota sana na wengine kuchanganyikiwa kwa madeni
 
Hizo hela zishaingizwa Fund ya uchaguzi mwakani.
 
Kweli, most likelyKang asemayo ni sahihi. Ila hao serikali hawajui kwamba kuna kundi kubwa sana nyuma ya DECI, sio ajabu chama chao serikali kikajikuta katika wakati mgumu kama wananchi wataitumia vema silaha ya kuporwa na serikali kupitia mgongo wa DECI. Wapo watakaoitumia kama silaha katika kuwashikisha adamu majitu yanayojiita serikali.

Kwanza DECI haikushindwa kuwalipa wanachama wao, serikali ndio imevuruga taratibu za DECI na kuwafanya wasiweze kulipa. Mie sijasikia hata mtu mmoja anayelalamika kutapeliwa pesa zake na DECI hadi pale serikali yenyewe ilipoamua kuwatapeli watu, tena ati kwa maelezo kwamba DECI ingeua taasisi za fedha kwa watu kumiminikia kwake na kujiondoa kwenye mabenki, FINCA, nani sijui yule wa Mr Simba? nk.

Ndiyo EPA ya ndani sasa. Hata wanasheria wataifanyaje serikali ambayo ikishindwa hukimbilia bungeni kutengeneza rubberstamp ya mswada wa kuipa kiburi zaidi? Hukumbuki Mtikila na Mrema wameishinda serikali ikang'ang'ania ujeuri wake?
Leka
 

Unajua MAma Joe,
Srerikali kwakuchelewa kutoa maamuzi hili pia ni gonjwa, Maana watu wametunza pesa nyingi deci,

Mimi nadhani huu utakujakuwa mwiba ,Mpaka sasa kinachojulikana ni Serikali imeifungia desi na pesa za masikini.
 
dah! mi ilibakia siku saba tu nikavune jamaa wakabonyeza button ya off mpaka leo nadhan ishaharibika haiwezi kuwa on tena!
 
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