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JF-Expert Member
- Feb 11, 2007
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The Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) plant in Tegeta, Dar es Salaam.
The $122 million (Sh207 billion) Tegeta escrow account saga rocked Parliament yesterday as legislators from both the opposition and the ruling party demanded a parliamentary probe.
The move came after the government failed to submit its report on the matter. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda promised mid-this year that he would submit two reports on the investigation of the escrow billions carried out by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) and the Controller and Auditor General (CAG).
Donors promptly responded that they would not change their stand on suspending budget support amounting to Sh1 trillion since nothing had shifted in the Independent Power Tanzania Ltd (IPTL) escrow investigation.
"There is no new development on this issue," donor Spokesperson Sinikka Antila said yesterday, "so there is no change to my answers in my last email to The Citizen Newspaper."
When a section of MPs demanded to know why the two reports had not been submitted as promised, the government side offered what appeared to be a shaky defence, triggering a call for a parliamentary probe committee. The outcome of the investigation into the IPTL saga boiled down to a showdown between MPs and the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (Policy, Coordination and Parliament), Mr William Lukuvi, over the outcome of investigations into the scandal.
MPs led by Kigoma South David Kafulila said they were seriously concerned about what they saw as the CAG's move to delay the final report. But Mr Lukuvi defended the delay, saying the CAG's work-earlier estimated to take 45 days-involved plenty of travel outside the country to gather all the evidence.
He told the House that PCCB had been tasked to deal with the crime element of the scandal. It was expected to carry out an investigation to establish whether there was enough evidence to support charges against those proved to have been directly involved in wrongdoing.
The CAG, according to Mr Lukuvi, was expected to carry out a forensic audit of the Tegeta escrow saga and it would be unfair to debate one report from PCCB while the other from the CAG was not fully completed.
"The office of the CAG gave an assurance that they would hand it over to the office of the Prime Minister immediately after compiling the probe report and we will hand it over to parliament so that it can be tabled," said Mr Lukuvi. "But, as we speak, the Premier has not received any report.''
It is understood that the CAG's team visited Malaysia, Hong Kong, the British Virgin Island and Oman during their forensic audit involving IPTL and Pan African Power Solutions Tanzania Limited.
The CAG requested 45 days but he has now spent about 200 days-roughly six months-investigating what PCCB did for a very short period. PCCB had earlier been given six months up to early December but completed its investigation in September.
PAP is owned by Kenyan tycoon Harbinder Singh Sethi and his son. It claims to have lawfully acquired 70 percent shares from the Malaysian-based Mechmar Corporation.
PCCB completed its in-depth investigation on the IPTL scandal in September after interrogating various witnesses and suspects both in and outside the country.
Responding to a question during the anti-corruption symposium for Southern African countries held in Mwanza on Monday, PCCB Director General Edward Hosea confirmed that he had submitted the final report to the prime minister last week.
But Minister Lukuvi said yesterday that the Prime Minister had not received the report, raising more questions about what is really happening within government's circles.
MPs demand Parliamentary Committee
Angered by the government's shaky defence of the delay in submitting the report, a section of MPs called for a parliamentary probe committee-an idea that the government vehemently rejected in June.
The move came when Mr Kafulila sought the Speaker's guidance on whether the report should be tabled before Parliament for debate since PCCB had confirmed having submitted it to the prime minister.
"Our major task is to play the watchdog role against the government," Mr Kafulila said. "We were promised in this House that the final reports of the investigations that were launched by PCCB and the CAG would be tabled in Parliament. Now we are now wondering what is going on."
Other MPs who spoke in support of the call to form a Parliamentary Probe Committee included Mr Moses Machali (Kasulu Urban NCCR-Mageuzi) and Mr Peter Serukamba (Kigoma Urban-CCM). The duo said they were tired of endless investigations into the IPTL Escrow scandal.
The MPs said that while the country was in a budget crisis after development partners-mainly from EU countries and Japan-suspended general budget support pending the outcome of the investigations, the government appeared to be in no hurry to present the reports in parliament.
"Our hospitals are in a crisis and they have no medicine," Mr Serukamba said. "Donors have said they will not support this financial year's budget but we are treating this issue as if it is not an urgent matter.''
Parliament is an independent institution that ought to supervise the government, he added.
According to Mr Serukamba, there are clear signs that the CAG's report may not be released any time soon. He suggested that a parliamentary select probe team be appointed to come up with a clear report.
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Job Ndugai ruled that he would give a report on whether or not the matter should be discussed before the CAG's report after the Steering Committee meeting that was scheduled for yesterday at 4 pm. He added: "I will issue my guidance tomorrow when we meet and, because you are concerned about this matter, we will take it as one of the agenda of the meeting.''
Source:The Citizen
http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Pa...40392/2511274/-/item/0/-/rghxfsz/-/index.html
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