Si unaona mambo haya? MKJJ mazishi wapi?
Govt probe continues despite Ballali`s death
2008-05-23 10:03:59
By Njonanje Samwel
Investigations into reports of gross mismanagement of funds in the Bank of Tanzania`s External Payment Arrears (EPA) Account will continue despite Friday`s death in the US of the bank`s immediate former governor, Daudi Ballali, the government has said.
The stand was given by Omega Ngole, Information Officer with the Attorney General`s Chambers, in an interview with The Guardian in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
President Jakaya Kikwete relieved Ballali of his duties after revelations that the former governor had occasioned a loss amounting to billions of shillings through shoddy dealings with phony companies in 2005.
Soon after, he named Prof. Beno Ndulu as Ballali`s successor at the central bank.
The President also formed a committee comprising Inspector General of Police Said Mwema, Attorney General Johnson Mwanyika, and Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau Director General Edward Hoseah to investigate the reports and recommend measures to be taken against those implicated in the scandal.
The team is scheduled to complete its assignment on June 9, this year.
Ngole said Ballali had never been classified as either a witness or a prime suspect.
``
Who said Ballali was a suspect or witness? What I know is the team is still going on with its assignment and the six months period it was given elapses in June,`` he said, adding: ``
We should give the bereaved family a break to mourn the death of their beloved one as we wait for the team`s findings. The team is progressing well.``
Meanwhile, the late governor`s body might be brought back home for burial from the US.
It was earlier reported that Ballali would be buried in Boston, USA, but sources told this paper yesterday that it is likely that his body would be brought home for burial.
Family members were meeting in Dar es Salaam to discuss the logistics involved, although the sources said the family was still divided on the issue.
Further information on Ballali`s death has been kept a secret and reporters yesterday were not allowed to go near the house where funeral arrangements were being made in Boko on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.
Central Bank and government officials were, however, allowed in.
The road leading to the house, believed to belong to the late Ballali�s sister, was being levelled yesterday.
Sources told this paper that family members were divided on returning the body back because it is believed that Ballali left a message that he should be buried in USA.
``However, it is difficult because Ballali`s mother, who is too frail, will not agree his son to be buried in a foreign land. That is where the dilemma lies, said the source, who did not want his name mentioned.
He, however, said the family would listen to the government`s advice on burial plans. The government said on Wednesday however that Ballali`s burial would be managed by his family.
Ballali`s death was confirmed by the Bank of Tanzania on Wednesday.
BoT said in a statement that it learnt with shock on Tuesday night that the former governor died on Friday, May 16 in Boston, USA.
A relative told this paper that Ballali died after a long but unknown illness. Ballali was first taken to South Africa last year after he developed health complications.
He was later flown to Boston in US for further medical attention, where he was admitted.
In December, 2007, doctors released him after his health condition improved under the condition that he should stay at home for three months, that is, until March this year.
But his condition changed and started to deteriorate, forcing doctors to order his re-admission.
Ernst & Young, the international auditing firm contracted by the government to screen the central bank`s accounts, revealed that payments amounting to 133bn/- were dubiously made to 22 domestic companies under External Payments Arrears (EPA) account scheme in 2005.
Some 90,359,078,804/- out of this was paid to 13 companies on the strength of fake or forged documents.
Another nine firms were said to have been paid an equivalent of 42,656,107,417/- without any documents to support their claims.