Chenga hakuwa mtuhumiwa lakini ajitakasa................kulikoni................. ...

[Rutashubanyuma]

katika hali inayoshangaza Mwanasheria Mkuu wa zamani Bw. Andrew Chenge amejisafisha kuwa yu safi kwa kutumia hukumu ambayo yeye wala hakuwa mshitakiwa ila alikuwa ni shahidi ambaye hata hakuhojiwa..........................hivi ni sahihi kwa Chenge kujisafisha wakati BAe sys tayari walikwisha kukiri ufisadi na kuomba wahukumiwe kwa makosa madogo madogo ili kulinda ajira za UK zisiharibike......................hata Jaji kwenye kesi hiyo alighafilika na makubaliano kati ya wachunguzi na BAE sys........................................

Mr. Chenge kwa vile adai ni Mkristu ninamshauri asome PROVERBS 13: 3 "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."

 

[Mohammed Hamad]

Unasema Chenga au Chenge.................?

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Chenge ajitangazia uadilifu
Sunday, 13 February 2011 21:06

Mwanasheria Mkuu wa zamani wa Serikali, Andrew Chenge, akizungumza na waandishi wa habari Dar es Salaam jana, kuhusu uchunguzi kuhusu kashfa ya rada uliofanywa na ofisi ya Kuchunguza Rushwa Kubwa ya Uingereza (SFO).Picha na Emmanuel Herman

Raymond Kaminyoge
ALIYEKUWA Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali, Andrew Chenge, amejitangazia uadalifu akisema uchunguzi wa kashfa ya rada uliofanywa na Taasisi ya Kuchunguzi wa Makosa Makubwa ya Jinai (SFO) ya Uingereza , umegundua hahusiki, lakini alikimbia maswali ya waandishi.

Wakati Chenge maarufu mzee wa vijisenti, akitumia mkutano wake na waandishi wa habari jana kujitangazia uadilifu huo, Ikulu kupitia Waziri wa Nchi Ofisi ya Rais (Utawala Bora), Mathias Chikawe, imeshikwa na ganzi kuthibitisha au kukaa uadilifu huo.

Chenge mwenyewe alisema:, " "Mimi ni muadilifu. nimefanya kazi katika awamu zote nne za uongozi wa nchi yetu..., hata nilipojiuzulu sikuwa na hofu wala mashaka ya kupoteza kazi."

Chenge akirejea na kujivunia historia ya utendaji kazi wake ikiwa ni pamoja na kufanya kazi wakati wa Serikali ya Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, alisisitiza uadilifu wake akisema:, "Kwa kuwa nilijiamini sikutenda kosa lolote katika kashfa hiyo ya rada nilisema iko siku ukweli utajulikana."

Mbunge huyo wa Bariadi Magharibi, alisema alitajwa kwenye kashfa ya rada iliyolitikisa Bunge la Uingereza, baada ya SFO kubaini alikuwa amehifadhi takribani Sh1.2 bilioni kwenye akaunti yake ya benki moja kisiwani Jersey, ambazo baadaye aliziita vijisenti.

SFO ilibaini akaunti hiyo wakati ikifuatilia mzunguko wa fedha zilizonunua rada. " Taasisi ya Kuzuia na Kupambana na Rushwa walikamilisha uchunguzi wao na kugundua kwamba hakuna ushahidi ulionihusisha na rushwa, uchunguzi umefanyika Uingereza na imeonekana sihusiki,"alizidi kujisafisha

Kwa mujibu wa Chenge, makubaliano yaliyofikiwa mahakamani hapo ni kwamba SFO, haitamshtaki mtu yoyote kufuatia uchunguzi huo wa rada. " Pia hakutakuwa na uchunguzi wala mashtaka ya aina yoyote kwa uongozi wa BAE Systems unaohusu mambo ya kibiashara yaliyofanywa kabla ya Februari 5, 2010,"alizidi kuanika hukumu hiyo huku akigoma kujibu maswali ya waandishi wa habari.

Chenge mwanasiasa na mwanasheria mwenye kupenda kutumia maneno ya mzaha alisisitiza:, " Kwenye ukweli uongo hujitenga, SFO na Takukuru wamefanya uchunguzi wa kina na matokeo yamedhihirisha mimi ni mtu safi."

Katika kutaka kujijengea imani kwa umma, Chenge aliwaomba Watanzania kuacha kushabikia mambo kabla hawajayafanyia utafiti wa kina. ``Rada ilinunuliwa na Serikali kwa manufaa na ulinzi wa nchi yetu na ununuzi wake ulizingatia sheria na taratibu zote za Serikali,''alifafanua.

Sakata la rada limekuwa likitikisa Bunge na Serikali ya Uingereza, hadi wakati flani kumfanya Waziri wa Maendeleo ya Kimataifa wa nchi hiyo, Clare Short kujiuzulu huku aliyekuwa Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje, Robin Kook, akimshambulia aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu wa nchi hiyo, Tony Blair baada ya kuidhinisha BAE Systems kuuza rada hiyo kwa Tanzania wakati ni nchi maskini.

Kwa upande wa hapa nchini, sakata hilo limekuwa likitikisa ambalo hivi karibuni Chenge alitoa kauli kama hiyo wakati akitangaza kuwania kiti cha uspika wa Bunge, lakini baadaye Uingereza, ikasema jalada hilo halikuwa limefungwa.
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Comments

12



+1 #27 nashoni 2011-02-14 17:22 helen ni vile videmu ambavyo vinapenda kushoboka, akiona mwanaume ana kitambi anajua anapesa huyo ni wakuchunwa. kumbe siku hizi kuna dawa za kuongeza unene na huna kitu mfukoni zaidi hapo mimba tu. mumuhurumie hajui atendalo akikua atajua
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+1 #26 jublet 2011-02-14 17:20 huyu jamaa [NENO BAYA] sana na ningekuwa na uwezo watu kama hawa hawatakiwi kuwa hai mpaka sasa,hivi anaweza kujastify vipi hizo bilioni alizonazo benki za nje kwa mshahara upi na kazi ipi ya kumfanya aweze kumiliki kiasi kikubwa hivyo cha hela.kwa ufupi jamaa ni bonge ya fisadi
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+1 #25 Grace 2011-02-14 17:17 Haya Chenge ni mwadilifu, Lowassa ni mwadilifu, Karamagi ni mwadilifu, Rostam ni mwadilifu, Manji ni mwadilifu, wote CCM ni waadilifu... Okey jipeni sifa na kura za ndiyo lakini sisi wenyewe tukiwaangalia walahi hatuamini kama mko waadilifu maana macho na mikono yenu haionyeshi hilo. Tutakutana mbele kwa mbele
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+1 #24 Kichuguu 2011-02-14 17:14 Chenge ni mwongo kudai kuwa yeye ni mwadilifu kutokana na hiyo kesi ya BAE na SFO. Ikumbukwe kuwa SFO walikuwa wanaichunguza BAE na kesi hiyo ilikuwa ni kubwa sana ikiwa inahusisha nchi kadhaa ikiwemo Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, South Afrioca na nyinginezo; Chenge aliingizwa kama mmoja wa washiriki tu kwenye upande wa Tanzania, na swala lake halikuwa kubwa sana mbele ya SFO, ndiyo maana SFO walileta ushahidi wote wa rushwa ya Chenge kwa TAKUKURU huku wakionyesha mzunguko wote wa fedha zile za rada. SFO walifunga upelelezi wao dhidi ya BAE kwa vile BAE walikubali makosa na kuamua kulipa faini. Kufungwa kwa uchunguzi wa BAE hakukuwa na maana kuwa Chenge hakuwa amepokea rushwa, kesi ya Chenge ilitakiwa ifanywe na TAKUKURU lakini kama sote tunavyofahamu, Hosea anaogopa kuhusu uhai wake.
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+1 #23 mwendi kazi 2011-02-14 17:05 chenge your time is up!ni bora usafi huu uufanye ndani ya familia yako kwani uma hauelewi dhamira yako.
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+1 #22 CCM 2011-02-14 16:13 Ningekuwa natoa hukumu ya kifo,ningeanza na hili jambazi na uaji.Kwa sababu ya wivu wa mapenzi ukamwaga damu zisizo na hatia za mabinti wawili kigamboni,leo eti mwadilifu,umesh alaaniwa hapo unasubiri hukumu ya kifo duniani na mbinguni jambazi wewe!!
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+1 #21 mugengo 2011-02-14 16:00 hahaha! chenge mwadilifu...

kama ni hivyo basi na mi jana nimeona jua usiku!
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+1 #20 Kasuku 2011-02-14 15:36 Jamani eeh, mnaonaje tujichukulie sheria mikononi mwetu tuliadabishe hili jizi, mana vibaka huwa tunawashughulik ia kweli kweli huku huku kitaani, tunawabiga viberiti tu.
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+1 #19 josphet 2011-02-14 14:57 we mzee umeshaingia TOPE utakati tena, hata ukijipaka mafuta ya nazi, kamwe huwezi kutakata
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+1 #18 ZanComorien 2011-02-14 14:32 We mzee bora kaa kimya, kuliko kutaka kuanzisha vagi na wanaojua maana ya uadilifu! Uchune tu mzee!
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+2 #17 salama 2011-02-14 14:13 Walimweka dalali mhindi. Kwani huyu mhindi mwenye radar. Tofauti ya pesa tuliyomlipa huyo mhindi na yeye alivyolipa BAE ni ya mabillioni. Naamini rushwa ilitembea, waliogawana walikuwa wengi.
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+2 #16 issa moshi 2011-02-14 13:04 kweli kabisa wewe ni muadilifu kwa ndugu zako na watoto wako si kwa wananchi wa tanzania
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+6 #15 Taqee Zacharia 2011-02-14 12:01 Udailifu kumbe mzuri!! watu wengi hupenda uadilifu inagawa wezi majambazi na mafisadi.kuna uadilifu na waadilifu bwana sio ule uadilifu unaoukusudia wewe.yaaani ndugu chenge ufisadi yeye kwake ni uadilifu,kusain i mikataba hovyo yeye kwake huo ndio uadilifu,sisi uadilifu wa namna hiyo hatuutambui bali huo tunautambua kama ufisadi na ujambazi tu ,huwezi kuwaibia raia mali zao then ukaja kuwambia kwamba umefanya uadilifu kwa kuwaibia,!! hatukubali haraka haraka kihivyo sisi.we mwizi tu basi na nibora usiwasumbue waandishi tena maaana hata useme jamii ishakujua kuwa wewe FISADI,na kuonyesha ulivyo Fisadi pesa zetu unaziita vijisenti! yaani bilioni 1.5 ni vijisenti? hii ni lugha ya FISADI.

any way mimi nitakuwa wa mwisho kabisa kukubaliana na wewe kuwa wewe ni muadilifu!!
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+5 #14 Bakari 2011-02-14 11:49 Quote:

``Rada ilinunuliwa na Serikali kwa manufaa na ulinzi wa nchi yetu na ununuzi wake ulizingatia sheria na taratibu zote za Serikali''​

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Sakata la rada limekuwa likitikisa Bunge na Serikali ya Uingereza, hadi wakati flani kumfanya Waziri wa Maendeleo ya Kimataifa wa nchi hiyo, Clare Short kujiuzulu huku aliyekuwa Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje, Robin Kook, akimshambulia aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu wa nchi hiyo, Tony Blair baada ya kuidhinisha BAE Systems kuuza rada hiyo kwa Tanzania wakati ni nchi maskini.​

Hii nchi tumelogwa na tutadumaa mpaka siku tukimpa mchawi!! Aingii akilini suala ambalo lilimfanya Waziri wa UK kujiuzuru liwe la manufaa kwa Tanzania... uji nga kabisa!!!
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+5 #13 KAMBI YA CHADEMA 2011-02-14 11:47 hapo ndipo watu watakapo tambua kwanini KAMBI YA CHADEMA BUNGENI wanataka katiba mpya. katiba iliyopo ni mbovu na inatoa mianya ya sheria mbovu kutungwa bungeni hivyo inakuwa ni vigumu kumkamata mwizi yoyote anayetumia kalamu kuiibia nchi
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12

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Chenge ajitangazia uadilifu
Sunday, 13 February 2011 21:06

Mwanasheria Mkuu wa zamani wa Serikali, Andrew Chenge, akizungumza na waandishi wa habari Dar es Salaam jana, kuhusu uchunguzi kuhusu kashfa ya rada uliofanywa na ofisi ya Kuchunguza Rushwa Kubwa ya Uingereza (SFO).Picha na Emmanuel Herman

Raymond Kaminyoge
ALIYEKUWA Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Serikali, Andrew Chenge, amejitangazia uadalifu akisema uchunguzi wa kashfa ya rada uliofanywa na Taasisi ya Kuchunguzi wa Makosa Makubwa ya Jinai (SFO) ya Uingereza , umegundua hahusiki, lakini alikimbia maswali ya waandishi.

Wakati Chenge maarufu mzee wa vijisenti, akitumia mkutano wake na waandishi wa habari jana kujitangazia uadilifu huo, Ikulu kupitia Waziri wa Nchi Ofisi ya Rais (Utawala Bora), Mathias Chikawe, imeshikwa na ganzi kuthibitisha au kukaa uadilifu huo.

Chenge mwenyewe alisema:, " “Mimi ni muadilifu. nimefanya kazi katika awamu zote nne za uongozi wa nchi yetu..., hata nilipojiuzulu sikuwa na hofu wala mashaka ya kupoteza kazi.”

Chenge akirejea na kujivunia historia ya utendaji kazi wake ikiwa ni pamoja na kufanya kazi wakati wa Serikali ya Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, alisisitiza uadilifu wake akisema:, "Kwa kuwa nilijiamini sikutenda kosa lolote katika kashfa hiyo ya rada nilisema iko siku ukweli utajulikana.”

Mbunge huyo wa Bariadi Magharibi, alisema alitajwa kwenye kashfa ya rada iliyolitikisa Bunge la Uingereza, baada ya SFO kubaini alikuwa amehifadhi takribani Sh1.2 bilioni kwenye akaunti yake ya benki moja kisiwani Jersey, ambazo baadaye aliziita vijisenti.

SFO ilibaini akaunti hiyo wakati ikifuatilia mzunguko wa fedha zilizonunua rada. “ Taasisi ya Kuzuia na Kupambana na Rushwa walikamilisha uchunguzi wao na kugundua kwamba hakuna ushahidi ulionihusisha na rushwa, uchunguzi umefanyika Uingereza na imeonekana sihusiki,”alizidi kujisafisha

Kwa mujibu wa Chenge, makubaliano yaliyofikiwa mahakamani hapo ni kwamba SFO, haitamshtaki mtu yoyote kufuatia uchunguzi huo wa rada. “ Pia hakutakuwa na uchunguzi wala mashtaka ya aina yoyote kwa uongozi wa BAE Systems unaohusu mambo ya kibiashara yaliyofanywa kabla ya Februari 5, 2010,”alizidi kuanika hukumu hiyo huku akigoma kujibu maswali ya waandishi wa habari.

Chenge mwanasiasa na mwanasheria mwenye kupenda kutumia maneno ya mzaha alisisitiza:, “ Kwenye ukweli uongo hujitenga, SFO na Takukuru wamefanya uchunguzi wa kina na matokeo yamedhihirisha mimi ni mtu safi.”

Katika kutaka kujijengea imani kwa umma, Chenge aliwaomba Watanzania kuacha kushabikia mambo kabla hawajayafanyia utafiti wa kina. ``Rada ilinunuliwa na Serikali kwa manufaa na ulinzi wa nchi yetu na ununuzi wake ulizingatia sheria na taratibu zote za Serikali,’’alifafanua.

Sakata la rada limekuwa likitikisa Bunge na Serikali ya Uingereza, hadi wakati flani kumfanya Waziri wa Maendeleo ya Kimataifa wa nchi hiyo, Clare Short kujiuzulu huku aliyekuwa Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje, Robin Kook, akimshambulia aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu wa nchi hiyo, Tony Blair baada ya kuidhinisha BAE Systems kuuza rada hiyo kwa Tanzania wakati ni nchi maskini.

Kwa upande wa hapa nchini, sakata hilo limekuwa likitikisa ambalo hivi karibuni Chenge alitoa kauli kama hiyo wakati akitangaza kuwania kiti cha uspika wa Bunge, lakini baadaye Uingereza, ikasema jalada hilo halikuwa limefungwa.
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Comments

12



+1 #27 nashoni 2011-02-14 17:22 helen ni vile videmu ambavyo vinapenda kushoboka, akiona mwanaume ana kitambi anajua anapesa huyo ni wakuchunwa. kumbe siku hizi kuna dawa za kuongeza unene na huna kitu mfukoni zaidi hapo mimba tu. mumuhurumie hajui atendalo akikua atajua
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+1 #26 jublet 2011-02-14 17:20 huyu jamaa [NENO BAYA] sana na ningekuwa na uwezo watu kama hawa hawatakiwi kuwa hai mpaka sasa,hivi anaweza kujastify vipi hizo bilioni alizonazo benki za nje kwa mshahara upi na kazi ipi ya kumfanya aweze kumiliki kiasi kikubwa hivyo cha hela.kwa ufupi jamaa ni bonge ya fisadi
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+1 #25 Grace 2011-02-14 17:17 Haya Chenge ni mwadilifu, Lowassa ni mwadilifu, Karamagi ni mwadilifu, Rostam ni mwadilifu, Manji ni mwadilifu, wote CCM ni waadilifu... Okey jipeni sifa na kura za ndiyo lakini sisi wenyewe tukiwaangalia walahi hatuamini kama mko waadilifu maana macho na mikono yenu haionyeshi hilo. Tutakutana mbele kwa mbele
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+1 #24 Kichuguu 2011-02-14 17:14 Chenge ni mwongo kudai kuwa yeye ni mwadilifu kutokana na hiyo kesi ya BAE na SFO. Ikumbukwe kuwa SFO walikuwa wanaichunguza BAE na kesi hiyo ilikuwa ni kubwa sana ikiwa inahusisha nchi kadhaa ikiwemo Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, South Afrioca na nyinginezo; Chenge aliingizwa kama mmoja wa washiriki tu kwenye upande wa Tanzania, na swala lake halikuwa kubwa sana mbele ya SFO, ndiyo maana SFO walileta ushahidi wote wa rushwa ya Chenge kwa TAKUKURU huku wakionyesha mzunguko wote wa fedha zile za rada. SFO walifunga upelelezi wao dhidi ya BAE kwa vile BAE walikubali makosa na kuamua kulipa faini. Kufungwa kwa uchunguzi wa BAE hakukuwa na maana kuwa Chenge hakuwa amepokea rushwa, kesi ya Chenge ilitakiwa ifanywe na TAKUKURU lakini kama sote tunavyofahamu, Hosea anaogopa kuhusu uhai wake.
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+1 #23 mwendi kazi 2011-02-14 17:05 chenge your time is up!ni bora usafi huu uufanye ndani ya familia yako kwani uma hauelewi dhamira yako.
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+1 #22 CCM 2011-02-14 16:13 Ningekuwa natoa hukumu ya kifo,ningeanza na hili jambazi na uaji.Kwa sababu ya wivu wa mapenzi ukamwaga damu zisizo na hatia za mabinti wawili kigamboni,leo eti mwadilifu,umesh alaaniwa hapo unasubiri hukumu ya kifo duniani na mbinguni jambazi wewe!!
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+1 #21 mugengo 2011-02-14 16:00 hahaha! chenge mwadilifu...

kama ni hivyo basi na mi jana nimeona jua usiku!
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+1 #20 Kasuku 2011-02-14 15:36 Jamani eeh, mnaonaje tujichukulie sheria mikononi mwetu tuliadabishe hili jizi, mana vibaka huwa tunawashughulik ia kweli kweli huku huku kitaani, tunawabiga viberiti tu.
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+1 #19 josphet 2011-02-14 14:57 we mzee umeshaingia TOPE utakati tena, hata ukijipaka mafuta ya nazi, kamwe huwezi kutakata
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+1 #18 ZanComorien 2011-02-14 14:32 We mzee bora kaa kimya, kuliko kutaka kuanzisha vagi na wanaojua maana ya uadilifu! Uchune tu mzee!
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+2 #17 salama 2011-02-14 14:13 Walimweka dalali mhindi. Kwani huyu mhindi mwenye radar. Tofauti ya pesa tuliyomlipa huyo mhindi na yeye alivyolipa BAE ni ya mabillioni. Naamini rushwa ilitembea, waliogawana walikuwa wengi.
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+2 #16 issa moshi 2011-02-14 13:04 kweli kabisa wewe ni muadilifu kwa ndugu zako na watoto wako si kwa wananchi wa tanzania
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+6 #15 Taqee Zacharia 2011-02-14 12:01 Udailifu kumbe mzuri!! watu wengi hupenda uadilifu inagawa wezi majambazi na mafisadi.kuna uadilifu na waadilifu bwana sio ule uadilifu unaoukusudia wewe.yaaani ndugu chenge ufisadi yeye kwake ni uadilifu,kusain i mikataba hovyo yeye kwake huo ndio uadilifu,sisi uadilifu wa namna hiyo hatuutambui bali huo tunautambua kama ufisadi na ujambazi tu ,huwezi kuwaibia raia mali zao then ukaja kuwambia kwamba umefanya uadilifu kwa kuwaibia,!! hatukubali haraka haraka kihivyo sisi.we mwizi tu basi na nibora usiwasumbue waandishi tena maaana hata useme jamii ishakujua kuwa wewe FISADI,na kuonyesha ulivyo Fisadi pesa zetu unaziita vijisenti! yaani bilioni 1.5 ni vijisenti? hii ni lugha ya FISADI.

any way mimi nitakuwa wa mwisho kabisa kukubaliana na wewe kuwa wewe ni muadilifu!!
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+5 #14 Bakari 2011-02-14 11:49 Quote:

``Rada ilinunuliwa na Serikali kwa manufaa na ulinzi wa nchi yetu na ununuzi wake ulizingatia sheria na taratibu zote za Serikali’’​

Quote:

Sakata la rada limekuwa likitikisa Bunge na Serikali ya Uingereza, hadi wakati flani kumfanya Waziri wa Maendeleo ya Kimataifa wa nchi hiyo, Clare Short kujiuzulu huku aliyekuwa Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje, Robin Kook, akimshambulia aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu wa nchi hiyo, Tony Blair baada ya kuidhinisha BAE Systems kuuza rada hiyo kwa Tanzania wakati ni nchi maskini.​

Hii nchi tumelogwa na tutadumaa mpaka siku tukimpa mchawi!! Aingii akilini suala ambalo lilimfanya Waziri wa UK kujiuzuru liwe la manufaa kwa Tanzania... uji nga kabisa!!!
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+5 #13 KAMBI YA CHADEMA 2011-02-14 11:47 hapo ndipo watu watakapo tambua kwanini KAMBI YA CHADEMA BUNGENI wanataka katiba mpya. katiba iliyopo ni mbovu na inatoa mianya ya sheria mbovu kutungwa bungeni hivyo inakuwa ni vigumu kumkamata mwizi yoyote anayetumia kalamu kuiibia nchi
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12

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Chenge ajitakasa kashfa ya rada


Na Tumaini Makene

MWANASHERIA Mkuu wa Serikali wa zamani, Bw. Andrew Chenge ameitisha mkutano na waandishi wa habari na kutangaza kuwa yeye ni
mwadilifu, mtu safi, hakutenda kosa lolote katika kashfa ya rada, ambayo Serikali ya Tanzania imekuwa ikidaiwa kuinunua kwa bei ya juu kuliko thamani yake nchini Uingereza.

Bw. Chenge ambaye pia aliwahi kuwa Waziri wa Miundombinu katika muhula wa kwanza wa Serikali ya Rais Jakaya Kikwete, kisha akajiuzulu kutokana na kashfa ya rada..., hakuwa tayari kutoa fursa kwa waandishi wa habari kuuliza maswali akidai kuwa maadili ya taaluma ya sheria hayamruhusu, kwani alichokuwa akisoma ilikuwa ni hukumu ya mahakama, si maneno yake.

Akisoma taarifa yake kwa vyombo vya habari inayotokana na hukumu ya kesi ya kashfa ya rada iliyoamuliwa hivi karibuni nchini Uingereza, Bw. Chenge alisema kuwa uchunguzi uliofanywa na vyombo husika, Taasisi ya Kuzuia na Kupambana na Rushwa (TAKUKURU) na Taasisi ya Makosa Makubwa (SFO) ya Uingereza, umebaini kuwa yeye ni mtu safi.

"Kama mnavyokumbuka kwa muda mrefu sasa, jina langu lilihusishwa na kashfa ya ununuzi wa rada ya Serikali ya Tanzania kutoka Kampuni ya British Aerospace Systems maarufu kama BAE. Yalikuwapo madai kwamba nimehusika katika vitendo vya rushwa katika ununuzi wa rada hiyo mwaka 1999, madai ambayo mara zote nimekuwa nikiyakanusha.

"Kutokana na suala hilo kugusa hisia za watu na maslahi ya Serikali ya Uingereza, kulikuwapo na uchunguzi na kesi mahakamani kuhusiana na mwenendo wa BAE katika suala la rada, kesi ambayo iliendeshwa kwa uchunguzi wa Ofisi ya Kuchunguza Mashtaka Makubwa ya Jinai Uingereza (SFO).

Akisoma mwenendo wa uchunguzi na shauri hilo la rada, Bw. Chenge alisema;

"Kufuatia uchunguzi wa muda mrefu na wa kina kuhusu mikataba inayohusu nchi kadhaa ikiwa ni pamoja na Jamhuri ya Zzech, Hungary na Tanzania, tarehe 16 Februari mwaka jana, Ofisi ya Kuchunguza Rushwa nzito Uingereza, Serious Fraud Office (SFO), walifikia makubaliano na Kampuni ya British Aerospace Sytems P.L.C.

"Kufuatia makubaliano hayo, SFO iliishtaki Kampuni ya BAE Systems PLC kwa kuweka mahesabu yake kinyume cha utaratibu na sheria ya uendeshaji makampuni ya Uingereza. Malalamiko hayo yalikuwa kwamba kati ya mwaka 1999 na 2005, BAE Systems PLC kinyume cha utaratibu wa uendeshaji makampuni kama ulivyoainishwa katika Kifungu Namba 221 cha Sheria ya Makampuni ya Uingereza ya mwaka 1985.

Bw. Chenge ambaye jana ilikuwa ni mara ya pili kuwaambia waandishi wa habari kuwa yeye ni msafi kutokana na kutokutwa na hatia yoyote katika kashfa ya rada, akisoma taarifa ya mwenendo wa uchunguzi na shauri hilo lisema kutokana na uzito wa kesi hiyo Serikali ya Uingereza iliona umuhimu wa kuifikisha mahakama kuu, badala ya mahakama za chini kama ilivyo kawaida.

Aliongeza kuwa moja ya makubaliano ya kumaliza shauri kati ya SFO na Kampuni ya BAE ilikuwa ni kampuni hiyo ikubali kosa kwa shauri lililofikishwa mahakamani.

"Ifuatayo ndiyo misingi ya kulimaliza shauri hili; moja ya matukio yaliyofanyiwa uchunguzi na SFO ni mauzo ya rada kwa Serikali ya Tanzania. Tarehe 10 Septemba 1999, mkataba wa mauzo ya rada ulisainiwa kati ya Serikali ya Tanzania na British Aerospace Defence Systems ukiwa na thamani ya dola za Marekani 39.97 milioni.

"Mwanzoni kabisa mwa majadiliano ya ununuzi wa rada hiyo, Kampuni ya Siemens Plessey Electronics Systems Limited ilimteua Bw. Shailes Vithlani kuwa mshauri wake nchini. Na akiwa Tanzania, Bw. Vithlani alipewa jukumu la kusaidia majadiliano na kufuatilia taratibu zote za mauzo... Mwaka 1998, BAE Systems Group, iliinunua Kampuni ya Siemens Electronic Systems Limited," alisema Bw. Chenge.

Alisema kuwa baada ya BAE Group kuinunua Siemens Limited, iliendeleza mkataba na Bw. Vithlani kuwa mshauri wa mambo ya masoko nchini Tanzania, mkataba uliohusisha kampuni tanzu mbili zilizo chini ya BAE P.L.C kwa upande mmoja na kampuni nyingine mbili za Bw. Vithlani ambazo ni Merlin International Ltd (Merlin; iliyosajiliwa Tanzania) na Envers Trading Corporation Ltd (Envers; iliyosajiliwa nje ya nchi).

Mbali ya uteuzi wa kampuni hizo mbili kuthibitishwa na uongozi wa juu wa BAE, chini ya makubaliano hayo, alisema Bw. Chenge, Merlin ingepata asilimia 1 kama malipo ya kibiashara ya mkataba na Envers ingelipwa asilimia 30.

Hivyo mara baada ya mkataba wa rada kusainiwa, kwa mujibu wa Bw. Chenge, malipo ya karibu dola za Marekani milioni 12.4 yalifanywa kwa makampuni ya Merlin na Envers, ambayo yaliwekwa katika rekodi za mahesabu ya BAE Defense Sytems Limited, yakionesha kuwa ni malipo ya kutoa huduma za kitaalamu.

"Makubaliano yaliyofikiwa mahakamani kulimaliza shauri hilo ni kama ifuatavyo; SFO haitamshtaki mtu yeyote kufuatia uchunguzi huo labda kwa walioshukiwa na kashfa za Jamhuri ya Czech na Hungary. SFO isitishe uchunguzi wowote unayoihusu Kampuni ya BAE Systems Group. Hakutakuwa na mashtaka ya aina yoyote yatakayohusu uongozi wa BAE Systems kufuatia uchunguzi uliofanywa na SFO.

"Kutokana na yaliyozungumzwa mahakamani, imejitokeza wazi kwamba SFO wamemaliza uchunguzi wao kuhusu Kampuni ya BAE na shughuli zake Tanzania. Na imekubalika kwamba SFO hawatafanya uchunguzi mwingine kwa kuwa hakuna ushahidi wowote wa rushwa. Jaji wa mahakama kuu amekubaliana na upande wa mashataka kuwa kwa sasa itakuwa vigumu kujua Vithlani amezitumiaje pesa alizolipwa.

"Bwana Andrew Chenge alikua Waziri wa Miundombinu katika Serikali ya Tanzania mpaka alipojiuzulu wadhifa huo tarehe 20 April, 2008, ili kutoa fursa kwa SFO na TAKUKURU kufanya uchunguzi wao na ambao sasa umekamilika.

"Tarehe 8, Novemba 2010, TAKUKURU walitangaza kuwa wamekamilisha uchunguzi wao na kwamba kutokana na uchunguzi uliofanyika, hakuna ushahidi wowote unaomhusu Bwana Andrew Chenge. Na sasa ni wazi kuwa uchunguzi uliofanywa Uingereza na Tanzania na mamlaka husika umegundua kuwa Bwana Chenge hahusiki.

"Mimi ni muadilifu, nimefanya kazi katika awamu zote nne za uongozi wa nchi yetu. Hata nilipojiuzulu sikuwa na hofu wala mashaka ya kupoteza kazi, kwa kuwa nilijiamini kuwa sikutenda kosa lolote katika kashfa hiyo ya rada, na nilisema iko siku ukweli utajulikana.

"Uchunguzi umefanyika na sasa ukweli umejulikana. Wahenga wamenena 'kwenye ukweli uongo hujitenga'. SFO na TAKUKURU wamefanya uchunguzi wa kina na matokeo ya uchunguzi wa vyombo hivyo viwili yamedhihirisha kuwa mimi ni mtu safi," alisema Bw. Chenge.

Alisema kuwa ukweli umejulikana kuwa ununuzi wa rada ulifanyika kwa kuzingatia sheria na taratibu zote za serikali.



5 Maoni:


BEN said... HONGERA SANA MHESHIMIWA. HILO NI BONGE LA CHENGA! LAKINI SASA TUNAPATA MTIHANI MWINGINE WA KUJUA VILE VIJISENTI KULE UGHAIBUNI VILITOKEA WAPI? NI VIZURI CHENGE AKAWA MUWAZI KWA HILI PIA KAMA HAKUNA DHAMBI NYUMA YAKE.
February 14, 2011 12:15 AM

Anonymous said... sawa mzee wa vijisenti wewe ni safi,mhadilifu na unaipenda nchi yako,na hata chama chako wana imani kubwa na wewe mimi na watz tuliowengi tunaona ni wewe ndo unafaa kuliongoza nchi yetu kwa hawamu lijalo kaza buti iliuweze kuliongoza chama chetu(ccm)na nchi yetu
February 14, 2011 12:28 AM

Anonymous said... Kwa maana hiyo sasa urejeshewe vyeo vyako au vipi? ama kweli ukistaajabu ya Mussa utashangaa ya Firauni!
February 14, 2011 2:08 AM

Anonymous said... Nyie waandishi wa habari, nanyi mmefanana na umati wa watu sokoni.Sokoni mtu akisikia kelele " mwizi, mwizi", hapo hapo anatafuta jiwe au kitu chochote cha kwenda "kuua" mwizi hata kabla ya kumwona mwizi mwenyewe.Sasa hili la Chenge nalo mlilichukulia kama wenzenu wa sokoni. Mliposikia tu "mwizi huyo"hapo hapo mkaanza kuandika bila hata kufanya uchungunzi ( kama kweli mnajua!! ).Sasa mpende msipende mmeambiwa ukweli wa sheria.Tafuteni mwizi mwingine sokoni. Au mrudi mashuleni mkasomee kazi yenu.
February 14, 2011 4:52 AM

Anonymous said... Atuambie hivo vijisenti vya dola milioni moja amevipatia kwa biashara gani wakati mshahara wake alipokuwa Mwanasheria Mkuu na tangu hapo awali ulikuwa unaeleweka?

Wacha kutupiga changa la macho bwanaaaa! Tanzania ya leo siyo ile ya enzi ilee ya 'ndiyo mzee'
February 14, 2011 6:33 AM

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Chenge asisitiza yeye ni safi


na Andrew Chale

MBUNGE wa Bariadi Magharibi (CCM) na Mwanasheria Mkuu wa zamani nchini, Andrew Chenge, ameibuka tena na kusema kwamba yeye ni mtu safi na mwadilifu mbele za jamii.
Chenge ambaye anaandamwa na kashfa ya ununuzi wa rada ya serikali ya Tanzania kutoka kwa kampuni ya British Aerospace Systems (BAE) alisema hayo jana jijini Dar es Salaam, wakati akizungumza na waandishi wa habari.
Katika mkutano huo uliodumu kwa saa moja na nusu alikanusha kuhusika na sakata hilo la rada na kusema hata baada ya kufanyika uchunguzi wa kina imebainika kuwa tuhuma zilizokuwa zikitolewa dhidi yake si za kweli.
Alitumia ripoti ya uchunguzi ya Taasisi ya Kuzuia na Kupambana na Rushwa Nchini (TAKUKURU) na ya Taasisi ya Kuchunguza Mashtaka Makubwa ya Jinai ya Nchini Uingereza (SFO) zilizotolewa Novemba 8 mwaka jana kujisafisha kuhusu sakata hilo.
Alisema kwa muda mrefu jina lake limekuwa likihusishwa na kashfa ya ununuzi huo wa rada kutoka kwa kampuni hiyo ya BAE, kwa matumizi ya dola za Marekani milioni 39.97 kwa ajili ya mkataba wa mauzo ya rada hiyo nchini uliofanyika Septemba 10, 1999.
Alisema ripoti hiyo ilibainisha kuwa uchunguzi huo ulibaini kuwa hakuna ushahidi uliomhusu yeye na wala hausiki na suala hilo na anaamini kwamba yeye ni mwadilifu na safi na hakuhusika kulifilisi taifa.
Alisema kuwa wakati akiwakilisha mahakamani maelekezo ya upande wa mashtaka kuhusu kesi hiyo, Mwendesha Mashtaka wa Serikali ya Uingereza Victor Temple aliweka bayana sababu zilizowafanya SFO kufikia makubalioano na BAE na masharti yanayoambatana na makubaliano hayo.
"Siyo maudhui ya kesi ya upande wa mashtaka kwamba sehemu ya malipo yaliyofanywa na BAE yalitolewa kama kivutio ili kuipendelea kampuni hiyo kupata tenda ya kuizuia Tanzania rada," alisema Chenge.
Alisema maudhui ya kesi hiyo yalikuwa yamekula njama ya kutoa rushwa, haupo ushahidi wowote wa rushwa katika sakata hilo.
Alisema maelezo ya Jaji Temple yaliihukumu kampuni ya BAE kulipa pauni za Uingereza 500,000 kama adhabu kwa kutumia rushwa katika mchakato wa kujadili mkataba wa huo wa manunuzi.
Alisema Jaji wa Mahakama Kuu amekubaliana na upande wa mashtaka kuwa kwa sasa itakuwa vigumu kujua aliyekuwa Wakala na Mshauri wa Manunuzi wa BAE, Shailes Vithlan, amezitumiaje pesa alizopewa.
"Mnyonge mnyongeni lakini haki yake mpeni ni hakika ukweli uliojificha sasa umeshajulikana," alisema Chenge.
Alisema Februari 16 mwaka jana SFO ilifikia makubaliano na kampuni ya British Aerospace Systems P.L.C kuhusu suala hilo.
Alisema kufuatia makubaliano hayo, SFO iliishtaki kampuni ya BAE Systems PLC kwa kuweka mahesabu yake kinyume na utaratibu wa sheria ya uendeshaji makampuni ya Uingereza.
Alisema malalamiko hayo yalikuwa kati ya mwaka 1999 na 2005, wakati kamapuni ya BAE Systems PLC ilipoingia mkataba kupitia kampuni yake tanzu ya BAE Defence Systems kinyume cha utaratibu wa uendeshaji wa makampuni ya kama ilivyoainishwa katika kifungu Namba 221 cha sheria ya Makampuni ya Uingereza ya mwaka 1985.
Baadaye Novemba 23, mwaka 2010 BAE ilifikishwa katika Mahakama ya City of Westminster na kukiri kosa na kesi hiyo kuhamishiwa katika mahakama nyingine iliyofahamika kwa jina la Southwark Crown Court kwa ajili ya kutoa maamuzi.
Pamoja na hatua hiyo ya kujisafisha kwa Chenge taarifa yake alisema katika majadiliano ya ununuzi wa rada hiyo BAE ilimteua Shailes Vithlan kuwa mshauri wake nchini na NA alipewa jukumu la kusaidia majadiliano na kufuatilia taratibu zote za mauzo huku akiwa mshauri wa masoko kwa kampuni zake tanzu za Merlin International Ltd (Merlin) na Envers Trading Corporation Ltd (Envers).
Kati ya kampuni hizo Merlin ilisajiliwa Tanzania na Envers ambayo ilisajiliwa nje ya Tanzania.
Chini ya makubaliano hayo, Merlin ingepata asilimia moja kama malipo ya kibiashara ya mkataba wa rada na kampuni ya Envers kulipwa asilimia 30 ya mkataba wa mauzo ya rada.
Kuteuliwa kwa kampuni hizo kulithibitishwa na uongozi wa juu ya kampuni ya BAE.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Judge questions BAE deal over payments for Tanzania contract

Mr Justice Bean tells Southwark Crown court it appeared that BAE had paid 'whatever was necessary' to get contract

• Rob Evans and David Leigh
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 December 2010 21.26 GMT
  
  BAE has steadfastly argued that it did not make corrupt payments to secure a contract from the Tanzanian government. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod for the Guardian A controversial deal between prosecutors and Britain's biggest arms firm, BAE, was today challenged by a judge who said the company appeared to have been engaged in bribery.
  BAE had reached a deal with the Serious Fraud Office earlier this year in which it agreed to plead guilty to a relatively minor accounting offence. BAE steadfastly argued that it did not make corrupt payments to secure a £28m contract from the Tanzanian government.
  But today, Mr Justice Bean questioned the heart of the agreement, repeatedly saying that payments originating from the company appeared to be "corrupt" and for "bribing decision-makers in Tanzania". He told Southwark crown court that it appeared that BAE had paid "whatever was necessary to whomever it was necessary" to get the Tanzanian contract. He added that it appeared that the payments were disguised so that BAE "would have no fingerprints on the money". "They just wanted the job done – hear no evil, see no evil," he said. The judge is due to sentence BAE tomorrow .
  In February, BAE struck the plea deal with the SFO and American prosecutors to end years of corruption investigations into its business methods. The arms giant agreed to pay £30m in corporate penalties in return for admitting accounting irregularities over a radar contract with Tanzania. Anti-corruption campaigners have argued that the deal is too lenient and cosy.
  Today, Victor Temple, the QC for the SFO, told the court that BAE had set up a system of "covert" and "overt" agents to sell their arms around the world. The "overt" advisers "conducted their work openly as BAE's in-house representatives", he said, while the "covert" agents' work was "highly confidential".
  He said Sir Richard Evans, BAE's chairman, had "personally approved" the use of a businessman, Sailesh Vithlani, as its "covert" agent to secure the Tanzanian radar contract. Approval was also given by Mike Turner, then a board member who later became BAE's chief executive.
  Temple said BAE paid $12.4m (£7.7m) to Vithlani between 2000 and 2005 – around a third of the radar contract's value.
  BAE had paid much of this money through its front company based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), known as Red Diamond, to a Panama-based company controlled by Vithlani.
  Today the court heard that the SFO and BAE had agreed a series of "carefully- worded" statements to put before the judge. These included:
  • The admission by BAE that "there was a high probability that part of the $12.4m would be used … to favour BAE" while the contract was being negotiated;
  • "It was not now possible to establish precisely what Vithlani did with the money which was paid to him";
  • That the SFO did not say that any of this money was "in fact improperly used";
  • That the SFO accepted that BAE had not engaged in corruption.
  The judge called these statements the "critical part" of the case, repeatedly asking barristers for the SFO and BAE what the money had actually been used for.
  He said: "I have to establish what has happened. If there is no money to be used for corrupt practices, why is 97% of it paid through a BVI company controlled by BAE to another [offshore] company controlled by Vithlani?"
  When Temple said Vithlani had been hired to lobby for BAE, the judge questioned why the businessman was paid so much for his work.
  Temple said that lobbying was legitimate work. "To lobby is one thing, to corrupt another".
  Temple added that BAE had committed the accounting offence as Vithlani had been recorded in its books as performing "technical services", but he had no knowledge of any technical matters.
  David Perry, QC for BAE, argued that the firm had not admitted any corruption and should only be sentenced for the one offence they had confessed to in the plea bargain.
  The judge had threatened to call witnesses to testify as he wanted to established the purpose of the payments, but later decided to go ahead with passing sentence tomorrow.
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Judge questions BAE deal over payments for Tanzania contract

Mr Justice Bean tells Southwark Crown court it appeared that BAE had paid 'whatever was necessary' to get contract

• Rob Evans and David Leigh
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 20 December 2010 21.26 GMT
  
  BAE has steadfastly argued that it did not make corrupt payments to secure a contract from the Tanzanian government. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod for the Guardian A controversial deal between prosecutors and Britain's biggest arms firm, BAE, was today challenged by a judge who said the company appeared to have been engaged in bribery.
  BAE had reached a deal with the Serious Fraud Office earlier this year in which it agreed to plead guilty to a relatively minor accounting offence. BAE steadfastly argued that it did not make corrupt payments to secure a £28m contract from the Tanzanian government.
  But today, Mr Justice Bean questioned the heart of the agreement, repeatedly saying that payments originating from the company appeared to be "corrupt" and for "bribing decision-makers in Tanzania". He told Southwark crown court that it appeared that BAE had paid "whatever was necessary to whomever it was necessary" to get the Tanzanian contract. He added that it appeared that the payments were disguised so that BAE "would have no fingerprints on the money". "They just wanted the job done – hear no evil, see no evil," he said. The judge is due to sentence BAE tomorrow .
  In February, BAE struck the plea deal with the SFO and American prosecutors to end years of corruption investigations into its business methods. The arms giant agreed to pay £30m in corporate penalties in return for admitting accounting irregularities over a radar contract with Tanzania. Anti-corruption campaigners have argued that the deal is too lenient and cosy.
  Today, Victor Temple, the QC for the SFO, told the court that BAE had set up a system of "covert" and "overt" agents to sell their arms around the world. The "overt" advisers "conducted their work openly as BAE's in-house representatives", he said, while the "covert" agents' work was "highly confidential".
  He said Sir Richard Evans, BAE's chairman, had "personally approved" the use of a businessman, Sailesh Vithlani, as its "covert" agent to secure the Tanzanian radar contract. Approval was also given by Mike Turner, then a board member who later became BAE's chief executive.
  Temple said BAE paid $12.4m (£7.7m) to Vithlani between 2000 and 2005 – around a third of the radar contract's value.
  BAE had paid much of this money through its front company based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), known as Red Diamond, to a Panama-based company controlled by Vithlani.
  Today the court heard that the SFO and BAE had agreed a series of "carefully- worded" statements to put before the judge. These included:
  • The admission by BAE that "there was a high probability that part of the $12.4m would be used … to favour BAE" while the contract was being negotiated;
  • "It was not now possible to establish precisely what Vithlani did with the money which was paid to him";
  • That the SFO did not say that any of this money was "in fact improperly used";
  • That the SFO accepted that BAE had not engaged in corruption.
  The judge called these statements the "critical part" of the case, repeatedly asking barristers for the SFO and BAE what the money had actually been used for.
  He said: "I have to establish what has happened. If there is no money to be used for corrupt practices, why is 97% of it paid through a BVI company controlled by BAE to another [offshore] company controlled by Vithlani?"
  When Temple said Vithlani had been hired to lobby for BAE, the judge questioned why the businessman was paid so much for his work.
  Temple said that lobbying was legitimate work. "To lobby is one thing, to corrupt another".
  Temple added that BAE had committed the accounting offence as Vithlani had been recorded in its books as performing "technical services", but he had no knowledge of any technical matters.
  David Perry, QC for BAE, argued that the firm had not admitted any corruption and should only be sentenced for the one offence they had confessed to in the plea bargain.
  The judge had threatened to call witnesses to testify as he wanted to established the purpose of the payments, but later decided to go ahead with passing sentence tomorrow.
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

• News
• World news
• The BAE files

BAE admits guilt over corrupt arms deals

Arms firm pays out £300m after long-running Guardian investigation

• David Leigh and Rob Evans
• The Guardian, Saturday 6 February 2010 <li class="history">Article history
  
  A BAE Eurofighter Typhoon. The SFO has charged a former agent of the arms giant with conspiring to make corrupt payments to promote the sale of its fighter jets. Photograph: Carl De Souza/AFP The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Wednesday 17 February 2010
  The headline above could have been misinterpreted. What BAE admitted to was false accounting and making misleading statements in relation to allegations of corruption, as we later made clear in other articles. The US deputy attorney general quoted in the article is Gary Grindler, not Larry Grindler.
  The arms giant BAE yesterday agreed to pay out almost £300m in penalties, as it finally admitted guilt over its worldwide conduct, in the face of long-running corruption investigations.
  For 20 years, the firm refused to accept any wrongdoing, despite mounting evidence of alleged bribes and kickbacks, much of it uncovered by the Guardian.
  But BAE yesterday said it would plead guilty to charges of false accounting and making misleading statements, in simultaneous settlement deals with the Serious Fraud Office in the UK and the department of justice in Washington.
  The admissions in the US covered BAE's huge £43bn al-Yamamah fighter plane sales to Saudi Arabia and smaller deals in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in central Europe. In the UK, the admissions cover a highly controversial sale of a military radar to poverty-stricken Tanzania, which the development secretary Clare Short said at the time "stank" of corruption, but which the then prime minister, Tony Blair, forced through the cabinet.
  The Serious Fraud Office said in its announcement yesterday that some of the £30m penalty BAE was to hand over in the UK would be "an ex gratia payment for the benefit of the people of Tanzania".
  Another $400m (£257m) would be paid in penalties to the US authorities. BAE will not face international blacklisting from future contracts, because it has only admitted false accounting, not bribery.
  MPs admitted to mixed feelings about BAE's admission and are still furious that the SFO's own extensive inquiry into the al-Yamamah deal was shut down in 2006, following pressure from the firm and from Saudi officials, who reportedly threatened to withdraw co-operation over security matters. The then attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, cited national security when he announced the inquiry was being abandoned. Blair said he took full responsibility for the decision.
  The Liberal Democrats' deputy leader, Vince Cable, said last night that BAE *Systems had succeeded in ensuring that key details of its arms deals would remain hidden. "The one positive thing is we have now had an acknowledgement from BAE Systems that unacceptable practices were being conducted. But nobody has been brought to account." He added: "The British government was up to its neck in this whole business. Government ministers were almost certainly fully aware of what was happening."
  The former Labour minister Peter *Kilfoyle said: "I certainly think there is now an argument to be made for an *independent judicial inquiry into the whole affair. This raises serious questions on what [Blair's] motivation was in intervening in the [al-Yamamah investigation in the UK] and what influences were brought to bear on him."
  Richard Alderman, director of the SFO, called the pioneering deal "pragmatic". It later emerged that the only prosecution of an individual by the SFO &#8211; Count Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly &#8211; was being dropped. Alderman added: "This brings to an end the SFO's investigations into BAE's defence contracts."
  In Washington, the deputy attorney general, Larry Grindler, was more pointed. "Any company conducting business with the US that profits through false statements will be held accountable," he said. "The alleged illegal conduct undermined US efforts to ensure that corruption has no place in international trade."
  Britain had previously been subject to condemnation at the OECD after Blair intervened to halt the British investigation into allegations of Saudi corruption.
  Yesterday's announcement in Washington focused on BAE's acceptance of guilt of the Saudi deals, and described secret shell offshore companies for making covert payments, and specific payments into a Saudi intermediary's Swiss account. It also identified £19m secretly paid to lubricate Czech and Hungarian weapons deals. BAE admitted writing an untrue letter to US authorities in 2000, denying it was paying any secret commissions.
  Yesterday's statement said BAE was now free of threats of corporate prosecution. BAE said the deal "draws a line under the past", and it regretted what it called "the lack of rigor in the past".
  A government spokesman said last night: "It's right that these historical allegations have been addressed."
  But two anti-corruption campaigners &#8211; Sue Hawley of the Cornerhouse NGO, and the former South African ANC MP Andrew Feinstein &#8211; said they reacted to the deal, under which no trials will take place, with "dismay". They said it "betrays the people of Tanzania, South Africa, the Czech Republic and Romania, who have the right to know the truth about corruption in their countries perpetrated by British and other companies. It &#8230; sends the message that large enough corporations are able to pay their way out of trouble."
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

• News
• World news
• The BAE files

BAE admits guilt over corrupt arms deals

Arms firm pays out £300m after long-running Guardian investigation

• David Leigh and Rob Evans
• The Guardian, Saturday 6 February 2010 <li class="history">Article history
  
  A BAE Eurofighter Typhoon. The SFO has charged a former agent of the arms giant with conspiring to make corrupt payments to promote the sale of its fighter jets. Photograph: Carl De Souza/AFP The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Wednesday 17 February 2010
  The headline above could have been misinterpreted. What BAE admitted to was false accounting and making misleading statements in relation to allegations of corruption, as we later made clear in other articles. The US deputy attorney general quoted in the article is Gary Grindler, not Larry Grindler.
  The arms giant BAE yesterday agreed to pay out almost £300m in penalties, as it finally admitted guilt over its worldwide conduct, in the face of long-running corruption investigations.
  For 20 years, the firm refused to accept any wrongdoing, despite mounting evidence of alleged bribes and kickbacks, much of it uncovered by the Guardian.
  But BAE yesterday said it would plead guilty to charges of false accounting and making misleading statements, in simultaneous settlement deals with the Serious Fraud Office in the UK and the department of justice in Washington.
  The admissions in the US covered BAE's huge £43bn al-Yamamah fighter plane sales to Saudi Arabia and smaller deals in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in central Europe. In the UK, the admissions cover a highly controversial sale of a military radar to poverty-stricken Tanzania, which the development secretary Clare Short said at the time "stank" of corruption, but which the then prime minister, Tony Blair, forced through the cabinet.
  The Serious Fraud Office said in its announcement yesterday that some of the £30m penalty BAE was to hand over in the UK would be "an ex gratia payment for the benefit of the people of Tanzania".
  Another $400m (£257m) would be paid in penalties to the US authorities. BAE will not face international blacklisting from future contracts, because it has only admitted false accounting, not bribery.
  MPs admitted to mixed feelings about BAE's admission and are still furious that the SFO's own extensive inquiry into the al-Yamamah deal was shut down in 2006, following pressure from the firm and from Saudi officials, who reportedly threatened to withdraw co-operation over security matters. The then attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, cited national security when he announced the inquiry was being abandoned. Blair said he took full responsibility for the decision.
  The Liberal Democrats' deputy leader, Vince Cable, said last night that BAE *Systems had succeeded in ensuring that key details of its arms deals would remain hidden. "The one positive thing is we have now had an acknowledgement from BAE Systems that unacceptable practices were being conducted. But nobody has been brought to account." He added: "The British government was up to its neck in this whole business. Government ministers were almost certainly fully aware of what was happening."
  The former Labour minister Peter *Kilfoyle said: "I certainly think there is now an argument to be made for an *independent judicial inquiry into the whole affair. This raises serious questions on what [Blair's] motivation was in intervening in the [al-Yamamah investigation in the UK] and what influences were brought to bear on him."
  Richard Alderman, director of the SFO, called the pioneering deal "pragmatic". It later emerged that the only prosecution of an individual by the SFO – Count Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly – was being dropped. Alderman added: "This brings to an end the SFO's investigations into BAE's defence contracts."
  In Washington, the deputy attorney general, Larry Grindler, was more pointed. "Any company conducting business with the US that profits through false statements will be held accountable," he said. "The alleged illegal conduct undermined US efforts to ensure that corruption has no place in international trade."
  Britain had previously been subject to condemnation at the OECD after Blair intervened to halt the British investigation into allegations of Saudi corruption.
  Yesterday's announcement in Washington focused on BAE's acceptance of guilt of the Saudi deals, and described secret shell offshore companies for making covert payments, and specific payments into a Saudi intermediary's Swiss account. It also identified £19m secretly paid to lubricate Czech and Hungarian weapons deals. BAE admitted writing an untrue letter to US authorities in 2000, denying it was paying any secret commissions.
  Yesterday's statement said BAE was now free of threats of corporate prosecution. BAE said the deal "draws a line under the past", and it regretted what it called "the lack of rigor in the past".
  A government spokesman said last night: "It's right that these historical allegations have been addressed."
  But two anti-corruption campaigners – Sue Hawley of the Cornerhouse NGO, and the former South African ANC MP Andrew Feinstein – said they reacted to the deal, under which no trials will take place, with "dismay". They said it "betrays the people of Tanzania, South Africa, the Czech Republic and Romania, who have the right to know the truth about corruption in their countries perpetrated by British and other companies. It … sends the message that large enough corporations are able to pay their way out of trouble."
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

BAE and the Saudis: How secret cash payments oiled £43bn arms deal

BAE admits wrongdoing after US justice department lays out how British firm used intermediaries to hide money

• David Leigh and Rob Evans
• guardian.co.uk, Friday 5 February 2010 19.26 GMT <li class="history">Article history
  
  Prince Bandar, the Saudi royal at the centre of the BAE bribery allegations. Illustration: Martin Argles The Saudi contract called al-Yamamah &#8211; which means "the dove" &#8211; was Britain's largest-ever arms agreement, and the source of intense scrutiny and controversy ever since it was signed in the mid-1980s.
  Today &#8211; after years of denying claims of corruption and bribes &#8211; the company finally admitted that the deal was mired in wrongdoing.
  The US department of justice today filed a telling indictment to which BAE has agreed to plead guilty.
  It says, among other accusations, that BAE "used intermediaries and shell entities to conceal payments to certain advisers who were assisting in the &#8230; [Saudi] fighter deals".
  The statement goes on to give examples: "BAE agreed to transfer sums totalling more than £10m and more than $9m to a bank account in Switzerland controlled by an intermediary. BAE was aware that there was a high probability that the intermediary would transfer part of these payments to the [Saudi] official."
  To Britain's shame, these admissions have been forced out of BAE, not by the UK's own prosecutors, but those of another country.
  The stakes around al-Yamamah were always high. The deal was immensely lucrative for BAE at the time, generating £43bn of revenue and keeping the firm afloat for more than two decades.
  It was important enough for the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, to be involved in helping to clinch the long-running deal in 1985. And, standing behind the politicians at the signing ceremony, was the smiling Prince Bandar, son of the Saudi defence minister [now crown prince] Sultan.
  It was later to become plain how much he had to be pleased about.
  The agreement was substantial and involved expensive military hardware.
  In the first phase, Britain sold the Saudis 72 Tornado planes, 30 Hawk trainers and 30 other trainer planes. A further batch of 48 Tornados was sold in the second phase of the deal agreed in 1993, and a third tranche, agreed after the end of the Serious Fraud Office investigation, involved the sale of 72 Eurofighter Typhoons.
  The Guardian first started its lengthy investigations into BAE back in 2003. The paper obtained evidence that the company was operating a slush fund through front companies to provide substantial treats and favours to Saudi dignitaries.
  Whistleblowers came forward to reveal how the arms dealers were spending huge sums to keep the head of the Saudi air force sweet.
  But those sums proved relatively small in the grand scale of things. The Guardian discovered that BAE was paying secret sums of money to confidential agents all around the world through a global system of offshore anonymous companies. An undeclared subsidiary called Red Diamond was acting as a vast laundry. A parallel entity called Poseidon made specific Saudi payments.
  Or, as the justice department in Washington put it today: "BAE took steps to conceal its relationships with &#8230; advisers and its undisclosed payments to them. For example, BAE contracted with and paid certain of its advisers through various offshore shell entities beneficially owned by BAE. BAE also encouraged certain of its advisers to establish their own offshore shell entities to receive payments while disguising the origins and recipients of such payments."
  The justice department states the arms firm operated a deceptive system of parallel overt and covert payments to its agents, who could then use the secret supplies of cash to pay bribes.
  "BAE retained and paid the same marketing adviser both using the offshore structure and without using the offshore structure."
  In the UK, the SFO launched its own inquiry in 2004. Its investigators started to get close to the Saudi royal family, uncovering evidence of huge sums being paid to Swiss bank accounts linked to middlemen including the well-connected billionaire Wafic Said.
  In September 2006, the Swiss were preparing to disclose the bank records to the SFO. The firm and its lobbyists started a public campaign warning that huge numbers of arms-manufacturing jobs could be lost.
  Behind the scenes, the Saudis were issuing their own threats. They claimed they would stop supplying vital intelligence about al-Qaida terrorists to Britain if the investigation was allowed to continue. SFO investigators were told dramatically that they faced "another 7/7" and the loss of "British lives on British streets" if they carried on.
  It was reported that the Saudis had issued an ultimatum that the inquiry had to be terminated within two weeks, and in December 2006, Lord Goldsmith, then the attorney general, rose in the House of Lords to announce that the investigation had indeed been brought to a halt.
  It transpired that Tony Blair had written a "secret and personal" letter to Goldsmith demanding that he stop the investigation.
  He hoped for a new arms deal from the Saudis. Plus, he claimed, there was a "real and immediate risk of a collapse in UK/Saudi security, intelligence and diplomatic co-operation".
  The prime minister said he "would be failing in his duty" if he had not made his views known.
  Inside the SFO, threats were privately discounted, on the grounds they were coming from Prince Bandar himself, a recipient of BAE's largesse.
  But that was not the end of the matter. In 2007, the Guardian revealed that the claims the SFO had been investigating included one that BAE had secretly paid more than £1bn to Prince Bandar through a US bank, as well as making him the free gift of an airliner.
  The US justice department decided to launch its own investigation. At its heart were claims that BAE had been paying £30m every quarter for at least a decade to the colourful prince.
  The US prosecutors could take jurisdiction as the payments had been channelled through a US bank in Washington where Bandar was the Saudi ambassador for 20 years.
  The British government refused to hand over documents about the Bandar payments to help the American prosecutors, payments allegedly made with the knowledge and authorisation of Ministry of Defence officials. Ministers had claimed for 20 years that there were no secret commission payments, and BAE officially promised the US government the same in a 2000 official letter which later proved to be its undoing.
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

BAE and the Saudis: How secret cash payments oiled £43bn arms deal

BAE admits wrongdoing after US justice department lays out how British firm used intermediaries to hide money

• David Leigh and Rob Evans
• guardian.co.uk, Friday 5 February 2010 19.26 GMT <li class="history">Article history
  
  Prince Bandar, the Saudi royal at the centre of the BAE bribery allegations. Illustration: Martin Argles The Saudi contract called al-Yamamah – which means "the dove" – was Britain's largest-ever arms agreement, and the source of intense scrutiny and controversy ever since it was signed in the mid-1980s.
  Today – after years of denying claims of corruption and bribes – the company finally admitted that the deal was mired in wrongdoing.
  The US department of justice today filed a telling indictment to which BAE has agreed to plead guilty.
  It says, among other accusations, that BAE "used intermediaries and shell entities to conceal payments to certain advisers who were assisting in the … [Saudi] fighter deals".
  The statement goes on to give examples: "BAE agreed to transfer sums totalling more than £10m and more than $9m to a bank account in Switzerland controlled by an intermediary. BAE was aware that there was a high probability that the intermediary would transfer part of these payments to the [Saudi] official."
  To Britain's shame, these admissions have been forced out of BAE, not by the UK's own prosecutors, but those of another country.
  The stakes around al-Yamamah were always high. The deal was immensely lucrative for BAE at the time, generating £43bn of revenue and keeping the firm afloat for more than two decades.
  It was important enough for the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, to be involved in helping to clinch the long-running deal in 1985. And, standing behind the politicians at the signing ceremony, was the smiling Prince Bandar, son of the Saudi defence minister [now crown prince] Sultan.
  It was later to become plain how much he had to be pleased about.
  The agreement was substantial and involved expensive military hardware.
  In the first phase, Britain sold the Saudis 72 Tornado planes, 30 Hawk trainers and 30 other trainer planes. A further batch of 48 Tornados was sold in the second phase of the deal agreed in 1993, and a third tranche, agreed after the end of the Serious Fraud Office investigation, involved the sale of 72 Eurofighter Typhoons.
  The Guardian first started its lengthy investigations into BAE back in 2003. The paper obtained evidence that the company was operating a slush fund through front companies to provide substantial treats and favours to Saudi dignitaries.
  Whistleblowers came forward to reveal how the arms dealers were spending huge sums to keep the head of the Saudi air force sweet.
  But those sums proved relatively small in the grand scale of things. The Guardian discovered that BAE was paying secret sums of money to confidential agents all around the world through a global system of offshore anonymous companies. An undeclared subsidiary called Red Diamond was acting as a vast laundry. A parallel entity called Poseidon made specific Saudi payments.
  Or, as the justice department in Washington put it today: "BAE took steps to conceal its relationships with … advisers and its undisclosed payments to them. For example, BAE contracted with and paid certain of its advisers through various offshore shell entities beneficially owned by BAE. BAE also encouraged certain of its advisers to establish their own offshore shell entities to receive payments while disguising the origins and recipients of such payments."
  The justice department states the arms firm operated a deceptive system of parallel overt and covert payments to its agents, who could then use the secret supplies of cash to pay bribes.
  "BAE retained and paid the same marketing adviser both using the offshore structure and without using the offshore structure."
  In the UK, the SFO launched its own inquiry in 2004. Its investigators started to get close to the Saudi royal family, uncovering evidence of huge sums being paid to Swiss bank accounts linked to middlemen including the well-connected billionaire Wafic Said.
  In September 2006, the Swiss were preparing to disclose the bank records to the SFO. The firm and its lobbyists started a public campaign warning that huge numbers of arms-manufacturing jobs could be lost.
  Behind the scenes, the Saudis were issuing their own threats. They claimed they would stop supplying vital intelligence about al-Qaida terrorists to Britain if the investigation was allowed to continue. SFO investigators were told dramatically that they faced "another 7/7" and the loss of "British lives on British streets" if they carried on.
  It was reported that the Saudis had issued an ultimatum that the inquiry had to be terminated within two weeks, and in December 2006, Lord Goldsmith, then the attorney general, rose in the House of Lords to announce that the investigation had indeed been brought to a halt.
  It transpired that Tony Blair had written a "secret and personal" letter to Goldsmith demanding that he stop the investigation.
  He hoped for a new arms deal from the Saudis. Plus, he claimed, there was a "real and immediate risk of a collapse in UK/Saudi security, intelligence and diplomatic co-operation".
  The prime minister said he "would be failing in his duty" if he had not made his views known.
  Inside the SFO, threats were privately discounted, on the grounds they were coming from Prince Bandar himself, a recipient of BAE's largesse.
  But that was not the end of the matter. In 2007, the Guardian revealed that the claims the SFO had been investigating included one that BAE had secretly paid more than £1bn to Prince Bandar through a US bank, as well as making him the free gift of an airliner.
  The US justice department decided to launch its own investigation. At its heart were claims that BAE had been paying £30m every quarter for at least a decade to the colourful prince.
  The US prosecutors could take jurisdiction as the payments had been channelled through a US bank in Washington where Bandar was the Saudi ambassador for 20 years.
  The British government refused to hand over documents about the Bandar payments to help the American prosecutors, payments allegedly made with the knowledge and authorisation of Ministry of Defence officials. Ministers had claimed for 20 years that there were no secret commission payments, and BAE officially promised the US government the same in a 2000 official letter which later proved to be its undoing.
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Judge 'astonished' by corruption denials as he fines BAE £500,000

Mr Justice Bean says arms firm gave £8m to 'shady' middleman to secure Tanzania radar contract

• Rob Evans and David Leigh
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 December 2010 15.51 GMT <li class="history">Article history
  
  Sir Richard Evans (above), then chairman of BAE, approved the use of a middleman in Tanzania in 2002, said Mr Justice Bean. Photograph: Dan Chung for the Guardian A judge has declared he was "astonished" at claims that BAE Systems, Britain's biggest arms firm, had not acted corruptly when its executives made illicit payments to land an export contract.
  Mr Justice Bean said it was "naive in the extreme" to believe that a "shady" middleman who handed out the covert payments was simply a well-paid lobbyist.
  The judge concluded that BAE had concealed the payments so that the middleman had free rein to give them "to such people as he thought fit" to secure the contract for the company. BAE did not want to know the details, he added.
  His verdict at Southwark crown court today brings to an end long-running attempts to prosecute BAE over bribery allegations in a number of countries. One investigation, into a Saudi arms deal, was terminated by Tony Blair's government.
  Today's prosecution centred on a relatively small accounting offence admitted by BAE in relation to one contract in one country &#8211; a £28m radar deal in Tanzania in 2002.
  Corruption allegations have swirled around the overpriced radar deal since it was signed in 2001, with former Labour minister Clare Short saying: "It was always obvious that this useless project was corrupt."
  Bean pointed out that no individual was prosecuted, even though the payments were deliberately hidden by BAE's executives and the use of the middleman was "personally approved" by its then chairman, Sir Richard Evans.
  BAE was brought to court for the single offence after agreeing a plea bargain with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to settle years of investigations. The company did so provided that it did not have to admit corruption.
  The court heard how BAE had hired the Tanzanian middleman, Sailesh Vithlani, to secure the radar contract and gave him $12.4m (£8m) over five years &#8211; a third of the contract's value.
  BAE and the SFO argued in court that Vithlani was being paid to lobby for the contract. But Bean said it was inexplicable that Vithlani received more than $12m and that most of this was channelled via two offshore companies, one in the British Virgin Islands and the other in Panama.
  The judge accepted there was no surviving evidence to prove what Vithlani did with the money. "I also accept that there is no evidence that BAE was party to an agreement to corrupt. They did not wish to be and did not need to be," he said. The fact that the money had been paid through the two offshore companies placed BAE "at two or three removes from any shady activity by Mr Vithlani".
  He said he could not accept the arguments of BAE and SFO that the former was concealing "merely a series of payments to an expensive lobbyist".
  He had raised the possibility of calling witnesses to testify "if it really is the case that legitimate lobbyists could be paid 30% of the value of a $40m contract simply as recompense for their time and trouble".
  The judge fined BAE £500,000 for concealing the payments to Vithlani "from the auditors and ultimately the public". He added that there was "moral pressure" on him to keep the fine low, as BAE had agreed in the plea bargain to pay £30m in corporate reparations and fines.
  The arms company had said that any fine would be subtracted from that total, with the "balance paid as an ex gratia payment for the benefit of the people of Tanzania".
  A sum of £29.5m was now due to be paid to the Tanzanian people &#8211; "the victims of this way of obtaining business", said the judge.
  BAE will pay £225,000 for the SFO's legal costs in bringing the prosecution, although the financially-strapped agency had asked for £750,000.
  Nicholas Hildyard of anti-corruption campaign the Corner House said: "BAE has been convicted of an accounting misdemeanour that hid a major crime: concealing improper payments. The company will never be able to deny this in future."
  Kaye Stearman of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade said: "Today's sentencing is an indictment of BAE's culpability. Whatever the level of the fine, the judge's remarks are damning."
  In the same deal to settle the corruption investigations in February, the US government compelled BAE to pay $400m (£260m) in penalties.
  

 

[Mohammed Hamad]

kaka polepole basi duh za namna hii haziwi na mvuto watu wanataka ndogo zenye kuvutia. Summarized sio unatuletea Daily News!

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Judge 'astonished' by corruption denials as he fines BAE £500,000

Mr Justice Bean says arms firm gave £8m to 'shady' middleman to secure Tanzania radar contract

• Rob Evans and David Leigh
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 December 2010 15.51 GMT <li class="history">Article history
  
  Sir Richard Evans (above), then chairman of BAE, approved the use of a middleman in Tanzania in 2002, said Mr Justice Bean. Photograph: Dan Chung for the Guardian A judge has declared he was "astonished" at claims that BAE Systems, Britain's biggest arms firm, had not acted corruptly when its executives made illicit payments to land an export contract.
  Mr Justice Bean said it was "naive in the extreme" to believe that a "shady" middleman who handed out the covert payments was simply a well-paid lobbyist.
  The judge concluded that BAE had concealed the payments so that the middleman had free rein to give them "to such people as he thought fit" to secure the contract for the company. BAE did not want to know the details, he added.
  His verdict at Southwark crown court today brings to an end long-running attempts to prosecute BAE over bribery allegations in a number of countries. One investigation, into a Saudi arms deal, was terminated by Tony Blair's government.
  Today's prosecution centred on a relatively small accounting offence admitted by BAE in relation to one contract in one country – a £28m radar deal in Tanzania in 2002.
  Corruption allegations have swirled around the overpriced radar deal since it was signed in 2001, with former Labour minister Clare Short saying: "It was always obvious that this useless project was corrupt."
  Bean pointed out that no individual was prosecuted, even though the payments were deliberately hidden by BAE's executives and the use of the middleman was "personally approved" by its then chairman, Sir Richard Evans.
  BAE was brought to court for the single offence after agreeing a plea bargain with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to settle years of investigations. The company did so provided that it did not have to admit corruption.
  The court heard how BAE had hired the Tanzanian middleman, Sailesh Vithlani, to secure the radar contract and gave him $12.4m (£8m) over five years – a third of the contract's value.
  BAE and the SFO argued in court that Vithlani was being paid to lobby for the contract. But Bean said it was inexplicable that Vithlani received more than $12m and that most of this was channelled via two offshore companies, one in the British Virgin Islands and the other in Panama.
  The judge accepted there was no surviving evidence to prove what Vithlani did with the money. "I also accept that there is no evidence that BAE was party to an agreement to corrupt. They did not wish to be and did not need to be," he said. The fact that the money had been paid through the two offshore companies placed BAE "at two or three removes from any shady activity by Mr Vithlani".
  He said he could not accept the arguments of BAE and SFO that the former was concealing "merely a series of payments to an expensive lobbyist".
  He had raised the possibility of calling witnesses to testify "if it really is the case that legitimate lobbyists could be paid 30% of the value of a $40m contract simply as recompense for their time and trouble".
  The judge fined BAE £500,000 for concealing the payments to Vithlani "from the auditors and ultimately the public". He added that there was "moral pressure" on him to keep the fine low, as BAE had agreed in the plea bargain to pay £30m in corporate reparations and fines.
  The arms company had said that any fine would be subtracted from that total, with the "balance paid as an ex gratia payment for the benefit of the people of Tanzania".
  A sum of £29.5m was now due to be paid to the Tanzanian people – "the victims of this way of obtaining business", said the judge.
  BAE will pay £225,000 for the SFO's legal costs in bringing the prosecution, although the financially-strapped agency had asked for £750,000.
  Nicholas Hildyard of anti-corruption campaign the Corner House said: "BAE has been convicted of an accounting misdemeanour that hid a major crime: concealing improper payments. The company will never be able to deny this in future."
  Kaye Stearman of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade said: "Today's sentencing is an indictment of BAE's culpability. Whatever the level of the fine, the judge's remarks are damning."
  In the same deal to settle the corruption investigations in February, the US government compelled BAE to pay $400m (£260m) in penalties.
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

[B] [/B]

    Judge 'astonished' by corruption denials as he fines BAE £500,000
 
 Mr Justice Bean says arms firm gave £8m to 'shady' middleman to secure Tanzania radar contract

Hivi Chenge anabishana na ushahidi huu ambao Jaji wa hiyo kesi tayari alithibitisha ya kuwa ni rushwa tupu kwenye hiyo "dili"

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

The court heard how BAE had hired the Tanzanian middleman, Sailesh Vithlani, to secure the radar contract and gave him $12.4m (£8m) over five years – a third of the contract's value.
BAE and the SFO argued in court that Vithlani was being paid to lobby for the contract. But Bean said it was inexplicable that Vithlani received more than $12m and that most of this was channelled via two offshore companies, one in the British Virgin Islands and the other in Panama.
The judge accepted there was no surviving evidence to prove what Vithlani did with the money. "I also accept that there is no evidence that BAE was party to an agreement to corrupt. They did not wish to be and did not need to be," he said. The fact that the money had been paid through the two offshore companies placed BAE "at two or three removes from any shady activity by Mr Vithlani".
He said he could not accept the arguments of BAE and SFO that the former was concealing "merely a series of payments to an expensive lobbyist".
He had raised the possibility of calling witnesses to testify "if it really is the case that legitimate lobbyists could be paid 30% of the value of a $40m contract simply as recompense for their time and trouble".
The judge fined BAE £500,000 for concealing the payments to Vithlani "from the auditors and ultimately the public". He added that there was "moral pressure" on him to keep the fine low, as BAE had agreed in the plea bargain to pay £30m in corporate reparations and fines.
The arms company had said that any fine would be subtracted from that total, with the "balance paid as an ex gratia payment for the benefit of the people of Tanzania".
A sum of £29.5m was now due to be paid to the Tanzanian people – "the victims of this way of obtaining business", said the judge.

Katika mazingira haya ambayo Jaji wa hukumu hiyo alithibitisha mazingira ya rushwa hivi Chenge anlipi la kujitetea ya kuwa "dili" ile haikuwa na ufisadi hata kama yeye binafsi hakutajwa kutokana na makubaliano kati ya BAEsys na SFO..................mabayo yalilenga zaidi kuilinda BAEsys isije ikaadhirika?

 

[Mfwatiliaji]

Chenge atakuwa na psychological problems..ndiyo maana tunaona anafanya mambo ya ajabu ajabu tangu mwaka jana.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

BAE deal with Tanzania: Military air traffic control &#8211; for country with no airforce

Claire Short and Robin Cook had tried to stop the sale of a hugely expensive radar to the poverty- stricken Tanzanians

• Rob Evans and Paul Lewis
• The Guardian, Saturday 6 February 2010 <li class="history">Article history Tony Blair was at the centre of controversy over BAE's arms deal with Tanzania, just as he was in the Saudi contracts.
  Cabinet ministers Claire Short and Robin Cook had tried to stop the sale of the hugely expensive radar to the poverty- stricken Tanzanians. But, as prime minister, he overruled them and insisted that the deal had to go through.
  It left Cook ruefully muttering that it seemed that Dick Evans, BAE's then chairman, seemed to have "the key to the garden door of No 10".
  The World Bank and the International Civil Aviation Organisation judged that the 2001 purchase was unnecessary and overpriced.
  But the £28m deal started to look even worse when the SFO discovered that a third of the contract's price had been diverted into secret offshore bank accounts.
  The SFO believed that this money was used to pay bribes to Tanzanian politicians and officials.
  Yesterday Short, who resigned from the government, said : "Every way you looked at it, it [the deal] was outrageous and disgraceful. And guess who absolutely insisted on it going through? My dear friend Tony Blair, who absolutely, adamantly, favoured all proposals for arms deals.
  "It was an obviously corrupt project. Tanzania didn't need a new military air traffic control, it was out-of-date technology, they didn't have any military aircraft &#8211; they needed a civilian air traffic control system and there was a modern, much cheaper one. Everyone talks about good governance in Africa as though it is an African problem, and often the roots of the 'badness' is companies in Europe."
  In Yesterday's agreement with the SFO, BAE admitted one offence under the 1985 Companies Act relating to the Tanzanian contract.
  Dick Olver, the chairman, admitted that BAE "made commission payments to a marketing adviser and failed to accurately record such payments in its accounting records ... The company failed to scrutinise these records adequately to ensure that they were reasonably accurate and permitted them to remain uncorrected."
  The SFO discovered that the money had gone into a Swiss bank account controlled by Sailesh Vithlani, a middleman of Indian extraction with a British passport.
  He left Tanzania after the country's anti-corruption unit accused of lying to investigators. He is listed as wanted by Interpol.
  One Tanzanian politician, Andrew Chenge, was forced to resign in 2008 after investigators discovered more than £500,000 in a Jersey bank account he controlled. He denied the money had come from BAE.
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

BAE deal with Tanzania: Military air traffic control – for country with no airforce

Claire Short and Robin Cook had tried to stop the sale of a hugely expensive radar to the poverty- stricken Tanzanians

• Rob Evans and Paul Lewis
• The Guardian, Saturday 6 February 2010 <li class="history">Article history Tony Blair was at the centre of controversy over BAE's arms deal with Tanzania, just as he was in the Saudi contracts.
  Cabinet ministers Claire Short and Robin Cook had tried to stop the sale of the hugely expensive radar to the poverty- stricken Tanzanians. But, as prime minister, he overruled them and insisted that the deal had to go through.
  It left Cook ruefully muttering that it seemed that Dick Evans, BAE's then chairman, seemed to have "the key to the garden door of No 10".
  The World Bank and the International Civil Aviation Organisation judged that the 2001 purchase was unnecessary and overpriced.
  But the £28m deal started to look even worse when the SFO discovered that a third of the contract's price had been diverted into secret offshore bank accounts.
  The SFO believed that this money was used to pay bribes to Tanzanian politicians and officials.
  Yesterday Short, who resigned from the government, said : "Every way you looked at it, it [the deal] was outrageous and disgraceful. And guess who absolutely insisted on it going through? My dear friend Tony Blair, who absolutely, adamantly, favoured all proposals for arms deals.
  "It was an obviously corrupt project. Tanzania didn't need a new military air traffic control, it was out-of-date technology, they didn't have any military aircraft – they needed a civilian air traffic control system and there was a modern, much cheaper one. Everyone talks about good governance in Africa as though it is an African problem, and often the roots of the 'badness' is companies in Europe."
  In Yesterday's agreement with the SFO, BAE admitted one offence under the 1985 Companies Act relating to the Tanzanian contract.
  Dick Olver, the chairman, admitted that BAE "made commission payments to a marketing adviser and failed to accurately record such payments in its accounting records ... The company failed to scrutinise these records adequately to ensure that they were reasonably accurate and permitted them to remain uncorrected."
  The SFO discovered that the money had gone into a Swiss bank account controlled by Sailesh Vithlani, a middleman of Indian extraction with a British passport.
  He left Tanzania after the country's anti-corruption unit accused of lying to investigators. He is listed as wanted by Interpol.
  One Tanzanian politician, Andrew Chenge, was forced to resign in 2008 after investigators discovered more than £500,000 in a Jersey bank account he controlled. He denied the money had come from BAE.